Sulfur metabolism in Allium cepa is hardly affected by chloride and sulfate salinity

TY - JOUR

T1 - Sulfur metabolism in Allium cepa is hardly affected by chloride and sulfate salinity

AU - Aghajanzadeh, Tahereh A.

AU - Reich, Martin

AU - Hawkesford, Malcolm J.

AU - Burow, Meike

PY - 2019/6/7

Y1 - 2019/6/7

N2 - Salinity as a major agricultural problem can affect crop growth and quality. Onion (Allium cepa L.) plant contains a wide variety of sulfur-containing compounds which may be involved in plant protection against salt stress. In the current study, a similar reduction in growth caused by chloride and sulfate salts was observed when onion was exposed to equimolar concentrations of Na+. Also, no difference was observed for shoot/root ratio and dry matter content of roots and shoots. Plants accumulated Na+ and the respective anions (chloride and sulfate) which in turn caused changes in the content of other nutrients. The content of potassium and calcium was decreased more than the other elements by both sodium salts. Sulfate salinity resulted in substantial increase in total sulfur and sulfate content but chloride salinity affected neither the total sulfur nor sulfate content of the roots and shoots, only in onion exposed to 200 mM chloride salt, those of roots and shoots were reduced. Furthermore, the water-soluble non-protein thiol content as well as the content of alliin remained rather unaffected. In conclusion, either salts affected the uptake and distribution of sulfate in onion, but had no or only a minor effect on the plant sulfur metabolism.

AB - Salinity as a major agricultural problem can affect crop growth and quality. Onion (Allium cepa L.) plant contains a wide variety of sulfur-containing compounds which may be involved in plant protection against salt stress. In the current study, a similar reduction in growth caused by chloride and sulfate salts was observed when onion was exposed to equimolar concentrations of Na+. Also, no difference was observed for shoot/root ratio and dry matter content of roots and shoots. Plants accumulated Na+ and the respective anions (chloride and sulfate) which in turn caused changes in the content of other nutrients. The content of potassium and calcium was decreased more than the other elements by both sodium salts. Sulfate salinity resulted in substantial increase in total sulfur and sulfate content but chloride salinity affected neither the total sulfur nor sulfate content of the roots and shoots, only in onion exposed to 200 mM chloride salt, those of roots and shoots were reduced. Furthermore, the water-soluble non-protein thiol content as well as the content of alliin remained rather unaffected. In conclusion, either salts affected the uptake and distribution of sulfate in onion, but had no or only a minor effect on the plant sulfur metabolism.

KW - alliin

KW - Allium cepa

KW - chloride salinity

KW - sulfate salinity

KW - sulfur metabolism

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85056136642&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/03650340.2018.1540037

DO - 10.1080/03650340.2018.1540037

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85056136642

SN - 0365-0340

VL - 65

SP - 945

EP - 956

JO - Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science

JF - Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science

IS - 7

ER -