PJB-2009-319
RELATIONSHIP OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC PIGMENTS AND WATER RELATIONS WITH SALT TOLERANCE OF PROSO MILLET (PANICUM MILIACEUM L.) ACCESSIONS
PAKEEZA SABIR1, MUHAMMAD ASHRAF1*, MUMTAZ HUSSAIN1 AND AMER JAMIL2
Abstract
An experiment was conducted to assess whether accumulation of photosynthetic pigments and maintenance of water relation attributes relate to the growth of proso millet accessions differing in salt tolerance. Salt stress significantly decreased leaf chlorophyll a and b contents, RWC, water potential (Ψw), and osmotic potential (Ψs), whereas it did not alter leaf chlorophyll a/b ratio except in accessions 008214 (salt tolerant), 008217, 008221 and 008223 (all three salt sensitive) under saline regimes where it enhanced chlorophyll a/b ratio. Leaf turgor potential also increased in all accessions under saline conditions and accessions 008213 (moderately tolerant), 008214 (tolerant) and 008236 (sensitive) were relatively higher than the others in turgor potential. The salt tolerant accessions (008211, 008214, 008220, and 008226) were higher, while the salt sensitive (008236, 008242 and 008208) were lower in leaf chlorophyll a content under saline conditions. Chlorophyll b was higher in 008213 and lower in 00823 (both moderately tolerant). Accessions 008211 and 008220 (both tolerant) and 008216 (moderately tolerant) were higher in RWC and 008215 (moderately tolerant) and 008242 (sensitive) in leaf osmotic potential than those of the other accessions under salt stress. Of the P. miliaceum tolerant accessions, 008214 was the lowest in leaf water and osmotic potentials. The relatively tolerant accessions 008211, 008214, 008220 and 008226 were higher only in chlorophyll a content under saline conditions. Overall, due to differential response of all the accessions to salt stress in terms of their performance in photosynthetic pigments and water relations none of these attributes except chlorophyll a can be related to the tolerance of P. miliaceum accessions differing in salt tolerance.
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