UNDERSTANDING SALT TOLERANCE MECHANISMS IN WHEAT GENOTYPES BY EXPLORING ANTIOXIDANT ENZYMES

The activities of antioxidant enzymes were analyzed in six wheat genotypes under different concentrations of NaCl (0, 100 and 200 mM). Plants were harvested after either 15 or 30 days of salt stress. The most salt tolerant genotype (SARC-1) maintained lower Na+ and higher relative growth rate (RGR), shoot fresh weight (SFW), shoot-root ratio, and K+: Na+ ratio, compared to the most salt sensitive genotypes (S-9189 and S-9476). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) increased significantly in SARC-1 and SARC-2 with increasing salt stress, while there was no difference in S-9189 and S-9476. Additionally, glutathione reductase (GR) activity was decreased in salt sensitive (S-9189 and S-9476) than salt tolerant (SARC-1) genotypes. Under salt stress conditions a negative relationship between SOD and leaf Na+, and a positive between SOD and shoot fresh weight (SFW), were observed. The higher efficiency of antioxidant enzymes of tolerant genotypes could be considered as one of the factors involved in salt tolerance of wheat.