Comparative Plasticity Responses of Stable Isotopes of Carbon (δ13C) and Nitrogen (δ15N), Ion Homeostasis and Yield Attributes in Barley Exposed to Saline Environment

Abstract

Salinity is a major threat to agricultural productivity worldwide. The selection and evaluation of crop varieties that can tolerate salt stress are the main components for the rehabilitation of salt-degraded marginal soils. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate salinity tolerance potential, growth performance, carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen isotope composition (δ15N), intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE), harvest index, and yield stability attributes in six barley genotypes (113/1B, 59/3A, N1-10, N1-29, Barjouj, Alanda01) at three salinity levels (0, 7, and 14 dS m−1). The number of spikes m−2 was highest in Alanda01 (620.8) while the lowest (556.2) was exhibited by Barjouj. Alanda01 produced the highest grain yield (3.96 t ha−1), while the lowest yield was obtained in 59/3A (2.31 t ha−1). Genotypes 113/1B, Barjouj, and Alanda01 demonstrate the highest negative δ13C values (−27.10‰, −26.49‰, −26.45‰), while the lowest values were obtained in N1-29 (−21.63‰) under salt stress. The δ15N was increased (4.93‰ and 4.59‰) after 7 and 14 dS m−1 as compared to control (3.12‰). The iWUE was higher in N1-29 (144.5) and N1-10 (131.8), while lowest in Barjouj (81.4). Grain protein contents were higher in 113/1B and Barjouj than other genotypes. We concluded that salt tolerant barley genotypes can be cultivated in saline marginal soils for food and nutrition security and can help in the rehabilitation of marginal lands.

Differences in Ratio of Carbon Stable Isotopes among Barley Grain Milling Fractions with Various Concentrations of Beta-Glucans

“…The stable carbon isotope ratio values in some milling fractions of wheat were than in wholemeal flour. In contrast, stable nitrogen isotopes were more stable, and there was no significant difference between milling fractions and whole wheat grains [31][32][33][34].…”

“…Hydrothermal pre-treatment can change the properties of a plant material and thus alter its effect on the organism [22][23][24][25][26][27][28]. Plant material is subjected to microbial activities during the digestion in the gut, which may change the physical (viscosity) and chemical properties of ingested materials [22,[29][30][31][32][33][34].…”

“…Hussain et al [32] evaluated the carbon isotope ratio in barley in connection with salinity tolerance potential and established differences among cultivars. In the study of milling fractions in wheat, a similar range of the ratio of δ 13 C was obtained in wheat in comparison to barley [33].…”

Morpho-physiological growth performance and phytoremediation capabilities of selected xerophyte grass species toward Cr and Pb stress

“…Abiotic stresses are assessed to be the main cause of the yield reduction in plants and thus, are considered a prodigious constraint to crop productivity ( Yousaf et al, 2018 ; Gilani et al, 2020 ; Ali et al, 2021 ; Ahmad et al, 2022 ; Hussain et al, 2022 ; Nawaz et al, 2022 ; Panikar et al, 2022 ). Plants are often sensitive to the low and high accessibility of different heavy metal ions as essential micronutrients ( Awad et al, 2021 ; Javed et al, 2021 ; Koleva et al, 2022 ; Shabbir et al, 2022 ; Xiao et al, 2022 ).…”

Plant Responses to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses: Crosstalk between Biochemistry and Ecophysiology

“…Hussain et al [ 3 ] studied the rehabilitation of salt-degraded marginal soils through the selection and assessment of crop cultivars that can withstand salt stress. They evaluated the effects of different salinity levels (0, 7 and 14 dS m −1 ) on six barley genotypes (113/1B, 59/3A, N1-10, N1-29, Barjouj and Alanda01) and evaluated different physiological, biochemical and stable isotopic responses.…”