Analysis of physiological traits and expression of NHX and SOS3 genes in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under salinity stress

Abstract

A hydroponic experiment was conducted in a phytotron to study the effect of salinity on physiological traits and qRT_PCR analysis for gene expression was also done in bread wheat. Wheat genotype HD-2687, was grown in hydroponic under different salt concentrations of 100 mM NaCl, 200 mM NaCl & 250 mM NaCl along with control treatment. Various parameters were recorded during the experiment, viz., chlorophyll content, carotenoid content, relative water content, root area and root diameter. Based on the experiment, it can be concluded that salinity stress negatively impacted various physiological traits such as relative water content, chlorophyll and carotenoid contents and root traits in bread wheat. The decline in various traits was exacerbated as the stress level was increased. Expression of genes involved in sodium ion homeostasis (NHX, SOS3) were up-regulated in root tissues of wheat subjected to salinity stress.