Physiological and Biochemical Responses of Willow (Salix spp.) Clones to Salinity Stress in Semi-Arid Conditions: Identifying Salt-Tolerant Genotypes for Sustainable Land Use
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21276/pt.2025.v2.i3.9Keywords:
Salix spp., salinity stress, salt tolerance, osmotic adjustment, proline, antioxidant enzymesAbstract
Salinity stress presents a significant challenge to plant productivity, especially in semi-arid regions where soil degradation intensifies due to climate change and unsustainable irrigation practices. This study evaluated ten willow (Salix spp.) clones exposed to increasing irrigation salinity levels (4–16 dS/m) to investigate their physiological and biochemical responses over a 105-day period. Key stress indicators—including relative water content (RWC), water potential (Ψ<sub>w</sub>), osmotic potential (Ψ<sub>s</sub>), relative stress injury (RSI), proline accumulation, lipid peroxidation (MDA), and antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, POD)—were measured to assess clone performance. Clone 131/25 consistently outperformed the others, showing higher RWC, less negative Ψ<sub>w</sub> and Ψ<sub>s</sub>, lower RSI and MDA levels, and increased proline, SOD, and POD activities. Clones J799 and SI-64-017 also displayed strong adaptive traits. These genotypes demonstrated superior osmotic adjustment, reduced oxidative stress, and maintained chlorophyll content under salinity, indicating the presence of effective tolerance mechanisms. Correlation analysis confirmed strong positive relationships between survival, growth, proline, and antioxidant activity, as well as negative correlations with RSI and Na⁺/K⁺ ratio. The results identify 131/25, J799, and SI-64-017 as promising candidates for cultivation on salt-affected lands and for use in agroforestry, bioenergy, and ecological restoration programmes. These findings support their deployment in climate-resilient, sustainable land management in saline-prone semi-arid regions
References
Saini N, Banyal R, Mann A, Bhardwaj AK, Dhillon RS, Kumar J, Saini V, Yadav RK. Examining the Effect of Salinity on Tree Willow Clones for their Adaptation in Saline Ecologies. J. Soil Salin. Water Qual. 2022; 14: 146-60. https://epubs.icar.org.in/index.php/JoSSWQ/article/view/140278
Banyal R. Short rotation culture with willows in hill farming systems. In Kumar et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of National Seminar on “Indian Agriculture: Present Situation, Challenges, Remedies and Road Map” 2012 (pp. 82–85).
Hangs RD, Schoenau JJ, Van Rees KC, Steppuhn H. Examining the salt tolerance of willow (Salix spp.) bioenergy species for use on salt-affected agricultural lands. Can. J. Plant Sci. 2011; 91(3): 509-17. https://doi.org/10.4141/cjps2010-013
Munns R, Tester M. Mechanisms of salinity tolerance. Annu. Rev. Plant Biol. 2008; 59(1): 651-81. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.arplant.59.032607.092911
Sharma P, Jha AB, Dubey RS, Pessarakli M. Reactive oxygen species, oxidative damage, and antioxidative defense mechanism in plants under stressful conditions. J. Bot. 2012; 2012(1): 217037. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/217037
Bates LS, Waldren RP, Teare ID. Rapid determination of free proline for water-stress studies. Plant and Soil. 1973; 39(1): 205-7. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00018060
Heath RL, Packer L. Photoperoxidation in isolated chloroplasts: I. Kinetics and stoichiometry of fatty acid peroxidation. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 1968; 125(1): 189-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-9861(68)90654-1
Beauchamp C, Fridovich I. Superoxide dismutase: improved assays and an assay applicable to acrylamide gels. Anal. Biochem. 1971; 44(1): 276-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-2697(71)90370-8
Rao MV, Watkins CB, Brown SK, Weeden NF. Active oxygen species metabolism in'White Angel'x'Rome Beauty'apple selections resistant and susceptible to superficial scald. J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci. 1998; 123(2): 299-304. https://doi.org/10.21273/JASHS.123.2.299
Arnon DI. Copper enzymes in isolated chloroplasts. Polyphenoloxidase in Beta vulgaris. Plant Physiol. 1949; 24(1): 1. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.24.1.1
Kaya C, Higgs D, Kirnak H, Tas I. Ameliorative effect of calcium nitrate on cucumber and melon plants drip irrigated with saline water. J. Plant Nutr. 2003; 26(8):1665-81. https://doi.org/10.1081/PLN-120022366.
Cha-Um S, Kirdmanee C. Response of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. to different salt-affected soils. In XXVIII International Horticultural Congress on Science and Horticulture for People (IHC2010): International Symposium on 937 2010 Aug 22 (pp. 1057-1064). https:/doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.937.131
Kang JM, Kojima K, Ide Y, Sasaki S. Growth response to the stress of low osmotic potential, salinity and high pH in cultured shoot of Chinese poplars. J. For. Res. 1996; 1(1): 27-9. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02348336
Mansour MM, Salama KH. Cellular basis of salinity tolerance in plants. Environ. Exp. Bot. 2004; 52(2): 113-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2004.01.009
Gupta J. thesis. Studies on morphological and physiological parameters of subtropical ornamental trees under salt stress. Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. 2017. http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810040400
Stolarska A, Klimek DO. Free proline synthesis in leaves of three clones of basket willow (Salix viminalis) as a response to substrate salinity. Environ. Prot. Eng. 2008; 34(4): 97-101.
Lata C, Kumar A, Sharma SK, Singh J, Sheokand S, Pooja, Mann A, Rani B. Tolerance to combined boron and salt stress in wheat varieties: Biochemical and molecular characterization. Indian J. Exp. Biol. 2017; 55(5): 321-328. http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/41721
de Azevedo Neto AD, Prisco JT, Enéas-Filho J, de Abreu CE, Gomes-Filho E. Effect of salt stress on antioxidative enzymes and lipid peroxidation in leaves and roots of salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive maize genotypes. Environ. Exp. Bot. 2006; 56(1): 87-94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2005.01.008
Meloni DA, Gulotta MR, Martínez CA, Oliva MA. The effects of salt stress on growth, nitrate reduction and proline and glycine betaine accumulation in Prosopis alba. Braz. J. Plant Physiol. 2004; 16: 39-46. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1677-04202004000100006
Mittler R. Oxidative stress, antioxidants and stress tolerance. Trends Plant Sci. 2002; 7(9): 405-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1360-1385(02)02312-9
Foyer CH, Noctor G. Redox signalling in plants. Antioxid Redox Signal. 2013; 18(16): 2087-90. https://doi.org/10.1089/ars.2012.5012
Singh G, Jain S. Effect of some growth regulators on certain biochemical parameters during seed development in chickpea under salinity. Indian J. Plant Physiol. 1982; 25: 167–179.
Downloads
Published
Data Availability Statement
The raw data underpinning this article's conclusions can be obtained from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Neha Saini, Dr. T.N. Manohara (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright and License Terms
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain the copyright to their work and grant the journal the right of first publication. The work is simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License permitting others to share it with proper acknowledgement of the authorship and its original publication in this journal.
- Authors may enter into additional, non-exclusive agreements for distributing the published version of their work (e.g., depositing it in an institutional repository or including it in a book), provided they acknowledge that the work was first published in this journal.
Open Access Policy
License
PhytoTalks is an open-access journal, allowing readers to access all published articles without registration. All articles are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC Attribution 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are properly credited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License summary:
This license allows others to:
-
Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
-
Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially
Under the following terms: -
Attribution — appropriate credit must be given, a link to the license provided, and indication if changes were made.
Author Warranties
By submitting a manuscript to PhytoTalks, authors confirm that:
-
The work is original and does not infringe any copyright, trademark, patent, or other rights of third parties.
-
The work has not been published elsewhere (except as a preprint) and is not under consideration by another publication.
-
All necessary permissions for any third-party materials used in the manuscript have been obtained.
Citation Policy
When using or citing articles from PhytoTalks, proper attribution must be given to the original authors and the source, including a DOI link where available.
![Announcement: Special Conference Issue of Phytotalks We are pleased to announce that Phytotalks will publish a special issue featuring select peer-reviewed papers from the Third International Conference on Plant Functional Biology, an esteemed international gathering of experts in Plant Science]. This special issue will highlight cutting-edge research and innovative developments presented at the conference, offering our readers valuable insights into the latest advancements in the field. Stay tuned for this upcoming edition, which reflects our continued commitment to showcasing high-quality, impactful research.](https://phytotalks.com/public/site/images/afrozalam/img-20250701-wa0010.jpg)
