Chenopodium album L.: a promising NaCl accumulating and tolerant plant for mitigation of salinity stress

Abstract

The present paper discusses the growth responses of Chenopodium album L. to salinity and its possible use in the context of reducing salt stress considering the fact that soil salinity is a major problem caused by climate change and anthropogenic activities. Salt tolerance potential and phytodesalination ability of C. album growing in the same salt-affected soil of two different textures (clay and clay loam) over a range of salinity [non-saline (EC_e is 0–2 dS m⁻¹), slightly salinized (EC_e is 2–4 dS m⁻¹), moderately salinized (EC_e is 4–8 dS m⁻¹), highly salinized (EC_e is 8–16 dS m⁻¹), and extremely heavily salinized (EC_e > 16 dS m⁻¹) of two different rates, extreme₁ (EC_e is 16–20 dS m⁻¹) and extreme₂ (EC_e is 25–30 dS m⁻¹)], were studied and compared. According to investigated growth traits, the plants growing in clay soils revealed better adaptation reaction than the plants growing in clay loam soils, and an increase in the main part of examined indices was observed until reaching high degree of salinity, after which the plants demonstrated symptoms of stress in all growth parameters. C. album, maintaining the survivability in parallel with increase in salinity, intensively accumulated toxic ions like Na⁺ and Cl⁻ that promoted the feasibility of this plant for phytodesalination of saline degraded soils. The results obtained can contribute to a deeper comprehension of an alternative phytotechnology for remediation of saline soils by tolerant and productive plant C. album to provide favorable conditions for growth and production of various cash crops.