Physiological and biochemical responses of ungrafted and grafted bell pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L. var. grossum (L.) Sendtn.) grown under moderate salt stress

Kacjan-Maršić, Nina (author), Štolfa, Petra (author), Vodnik, Dominik (author), Košmelj, Katarina (author), Mikulič Petkovšek, Maja (author), Kump, Bojka (author), Vidrih, Rajko (author), Kokalj, Doris (author), Piskernik, Saša (author), Ferjančič, Blaž (author), Dragutinović, Maja (author), Veberič, Robert (author), Hudina, Metka (author), Šircelj, Helena (author)

The response of grafted bell pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L. var. grossum (L.) Sendtn.) to salt stress was investigated by analyzing the photosynthetic traits and mineral content of the plants and the metabolic composition of the fruit. The bell pepper variety “Vedrana” was grafted onto the salt-tolerant rootstock “Rocal F1” and grown at two salinities (20 mM and 40 mM NaCl) and control (0 mM NaCl) during the spring–summer period. On a physiological level, similar stomatal restriction of photosynthesis in grafted and ungrafted plants indicated that grafting did not alleviate water balance disturbances under increased salt exposure. Measurements of midday water potential did not show improved water status of grafted plants. The similar metabolic changes in grafted and ungrafted plants were also reflected in similarly reduced fruit yields. Thus, this grafting did not reduce the risk of ionic and osmotic imbalance in pepper plants grown under moderate salt treatment. Changes in the biochemical profiles of the pepper fruit were seen for both added-salt treatments. The fruit phenolic compounds were affected by rootstock mediation, although only for the July harvest, where total phenolics content increased with 40 mM NaCl treatment. Fruit ascorbic acid content increased with the duration of salt stress, without the mediation of the rootstock. The high salt dependence of this quality trait in pepper fruit appears to lead to more limited rootstock mediation effects.

• Language: English
• Keywords: grafting, ascorbic acid, phenolics, NaCl, photosynthetic traits, proline, Capsicum annuum L.
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: 19 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 10, iss. 2, art. 314
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-135025
• UDC: 581
• ISSN on article: 2223-7747
• DOI: 10.3390/plants10020314
• COBISS.SI-ID: 50629891
• Publication date in RUL: 17.02.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Plants
• Shortened title: Plants
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2223-7747
• COBISS.SI-ID: 523345433

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 06.02.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: paprika, slanostni stres, cepljena paprika, fenolne spojine, askorbinska kislina, fiziologija rastlin, biokemija rastlin