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Research Project: Harnessing Genomic Technologies Toward Improving Vegetable Health in Field and Controlled Environments

Location: Vegetable Research

Title: Identification and response of USDA tomato germplasm to salt stress at the seedling stage

Author
item ALATAWI, IBTISAM - University Of Arkansas
item XIONG, HAIZHENG - University Of Arkansas
item CHIWINA, KENANI - University Of Arkansas
item ALKABKABI, HANAN - University Of Arkansas
item LUO, QUN - University Of Arkansas
item JOSHI, NEELENDRA - University Of Arkansas
item SUN, XIAOLUN - University Of Arkansas
item ZHUANG, XUAN - University Of Arkansas
item Ling, Kai Shu
item SHI, AINONG - University Of Arkansas

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/13/2024
Publication Date: 1/1/2025
Citation: Alatawi, I., Xiong, H., Chiwina, K., Alkabkabi, H., Luo, Q., Joshi, N.K., Sun, X., Zhuang, X., Ling, K., Shi, A. 2025. Identification and response of USDA tomato germplasm to salt stress at the seedling stage. HortScience. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI18149-24.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI18149-24

Interpretive Summary: Soil salinity is a major abiotic factor limiting crop productivity due to salt stress. Developing a salt-tolerant cultivar might permit a sustainable crop production even under a high salinity condition. To breed for a new cultivar, it is necessary to first identify genetic resources with salt-tolerance. In collaboration with scientists from University of Arkansas, ARS scientist in Charleston, SC conducted an extensive screening under an artificial high salinity condition to a diverse collection of tomato germplasm (71 accessions). The results showed that nine accessions could be considered as salt-tolerant. These findings offer valuable insights for tomato breeding programs, particularly those focused on enhancing salt tolerance in elite cultivars of this crucial crop.

Technical Abstract: Soil salinity is a significant abiotic factor that impedes sustainable crop production in key agricultural regions worldwide. Saline cultivation adversely affects soil quality, whereas the use of saline water for irrigation disrupts the physiological and biochemical processes of plants. Continuous irrigation with high salt concentrations leads to a gradual buildup of soil salinity, thus hindering optimal plant growth and development. Consequently, there is a growing emphasis on breeding salinity-tolerant cultivars of various crops. In this study, 71 tomato accessions sourced from 20 countries and provided by the US Department of Agriculture were evaluated under controlled greenhouse conditions and subjected to saline stress (200 mM NaCl). The experiment used a split-plot design, with the salt treatment serving as the main plot and the tomato accession as the subplot, which were arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications. Results identified nine accessions (PI 109837, PI 127820, PI 270256, PI 634828, PI 636205, PI 636255, PI 647143, PI 647528, and PI 647556) as salt-tolerant. Additionally, high broad-sense heritability was observed for the leaf injury score and leaf chlorophyll content. Furthermore, positive correlations were found among parameters related to the leaf injury score and leaf chlorophyll content (soil plant analysis development value). These findings offer valuable insights for tomato breeding programs, particularly those focused on enhancing salt tolerance of elite cultivars of this crucial crop.