Accurate Identification of Salt Tolerance in Sesame(Sesamum indicum L.)Germplasm Resources during Seedling Stage and Germplasm Exploration
To expedite the process of salt-tolerant sesame breeding,this research established a precise and highly efficient method for identifying and evaluating the salt tolerance of sesame seedlings and screened extreme materials by conducting salt tolerance identification on 239 materials at the seedling stage.Through experiments on 28 varieties with considerable differences in salt tolerance,the seedlings were subjected to stress growth in NaCl solutions of different concentrations(0,70,140,210,280,and 350 mmol/L)from the seedling stage.After three weeks of treatment,growth and physiological indicators were measured to determine the optimal concentration and key indicators,based on which the salt tolerance of 239 core germplasm was identified.The results indicated that the optimal stress concentration for identifying the salt tolerance of sesame seedlings was 210 mmol/L,and the core indicators were relative plant height and relative fresh weight.Regression analysis was conducted on the D value and the salt tolerance coefficients of six traits,and the regression equation was obtained:D=-0.171+1.081X1+0.253 X2.Using this regression equation to identify the salt tolerance of 239 sesame core germplasm during the seedling stage,they were classified into five grades:high salt tolerance,salt tolerance,moderate salt tolerance,salt sensitivity,and high salt sensitivity.Among them,5 germplasm with high salt tolerance and 42 germplasm with salt tolerance were selected.Through conducting a correlation analysis between salt tolerance identification results and germplasm sources,it was discovered that the salt tolerance of sesame varieties is associated with the degree of soil salinization in their source regions.This research provides a methodological and material foundation for the breeding of salt-tolerant sesame varieties.