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REVIEW

Effects, tolerance mechanisms and management of salt stress in lucerne (Medicago sativa)

Safaa Mohammed Al-Farsi A B , Ahmad Nawaz C , Anees-ur-Rehman C , Saleem K. Nadaf D , Abdullah M. Al-Sadi A , Kadambot H. M. Siddique E and Muhammad Farooq https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4368-9357 A E F
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khoud 123, Oman.

B Directorate General of Agriculture and Livestock Research, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Al-Seeb 121, Oman.

C College of Agriculture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Bahadur Sub-Campus, Layyah 31200, Pakistan.

D Oman Animal and Plant Genetic Resources Center, The Research Council, PO Box 92, Muscat 123, Oman.

E The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.

F Corresponding author. Email: farooqcp@squ.edu.om

Crop and Pasture Science 71(5) 411-428 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP20033
Submitted: 10 February 2020  Accepted: 19 April 2020   Published: 15 May 2020

Abstract

Lucerne (alfalfa, Medicago sativa L.) is a forage legume that is widely cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. The main aim of this review was to highlight the effects of salt stress on the performance of lucerne and to suggest different tolerance mechanisms and management strategies for improving its yield under salt stress. Salt stress significantly affects seed germination, carbon fixation, light harvesting, biological N2 fixation, mineral uptake and assimilation and dry-matter accumulation in lucerne. Accumulation of osmolytes or compatible solutes such as proline, polyamines, trehalose and soluble sugars confers salt tolerance in lucerne. Maintenance of low Na+ : K+ ratios, antioxidant enzyme activation, and hormonal regulation also help lucerne to withstand salt stress. The screening of diverse genotypes on the basis of germination indices, gas exchange, biomass production, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes might be useful for breeding salt-tolerant lucerne genotypes. Novel biotechnological tools and functional genomics used to identify salt-conferring genes and quantitative trait loci will help to improve salt tolerance. Use of rhizobial and non-rhizobial plant growth-promoting bacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, exogenous application of osmoprotectants, and seed priming with brassinolide, gibberellic acid and salicylic acid may help to improve lucerne performance in saline environments.

Additional keywords: antioxidants, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, osmoprotectants, seed priming, ion toxicity.


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