Effects of sea-salt stress on morphological and biochemical indices of Grand Nain (Musa spp.) banana variety

Banana is cultivated abundantly in seaside regions, which are highly prone to rises in sea level or where seawater mixes with groundwater. This study aimed to investigate the effect of sea-salt stress on banana seedlings. Three different saline solutions, irrigation water, and distilled water were prepared for treatments; 15.3 dS m-1, 20.4 dS m-1, 25.7 dS m-1, 3.22 dS m-1 (irrigation water), 0.0 dS m-1 (control), respectively. Although there was no statistical difference in plant length after the treatment, plant diameter difference was observed in seedlings subjected to salt stress for 30 days. The most damaged leaves (4.8) were determined at the highest sea-salt solution (25.7 dS m-1). Compared with the root length (RL) results of control, irrigation water, and 15.3 dS m-1 treatments, the mean of RL was significantly higher in the 25.7 dS m-1 treatment (40.0 cm). Except for the 20.40 dS m-1 treatment, the other treatments had values close to each other. Contrary to the total chlorophyll (TC) and chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) values determined in control plants, the highest TC content and CF were found in irrigation water treatment with 34.8 mg g-1 Fw and 46.0, respectively. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline were significantly higher in the 25.7 dS m-1 treatment than in the other treatments. Results demonstrated that the root length of the Grand Nain cultivar increased although the sea-salt stress had negative effects on plant morphology and biochemical content, indicating that it could adapt to short-term salt stress.