Mitigating Salt Stress on Four Cultivars of Wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.) Stomatal Dimensions Through Na ⁺: K⁺ Antagonism

Salinity is a significant stressor that inhibits wheat seeds germination and development by interfering with stomata function and lowering yield. By enhancing stomata dimensions and plant resistance, potassium (K⁺) plays a critical role in reducing salt stress through K⁺:Na⁺ antagonistic interactions. This study investigates how stomata architecture is affected by K⁺ supplementation and how TaHKT۲;۲ genes contribute to increased salt tolerance in wheat cultivars. IBA۹۹, Rasheed, Boohuth, and Abugrieab wheat cultivars were watered by river water of ۲.۴ ds.m⁻¹ EC, river water + ۴۰۰ ppm of K⁺, saline water of ۵ ds.m⁻¹ EC, and saline water + ۴۰۰ ppm of K⁺ to investigate K⁺: Na⁺ ion antagonisms influences on stomata dimensions and TaHKT۲;۲ genes role on salt tolerance. Enrichment of river water by Potassium significantly increased upper surface of leaf stomata length (۵۵.۶۳µm), as compared to that of river water (۴۹.۹۸ µm). K supplements to salty water, as K addition increased the width of stomata aperture at the upper and lower surface of leaf (۹.۸۲ µm, and ۱۱.۹, respectively). Rasheed wheat cultivar gave the highest stomata aperture length (۴۹.۹۸ µm), stomata width (۳۵.۱ µm), and stomata length (۵۶.۸۲ µm) at the upper leaf surfaces. Furthermore, at lower leaf surface, Rasheed wheat cultivar also showed the highest stomata width (۴۸.۷۹ µm), and stomata length (۵۵.۹۳ µm). ABA۹۹ came next, as it showed the highest stomata aperture (۹.۸۲ µm), and stomata width (۲۳.۷۳ µm) at the upper leaf surface, besides its highest stomata aperture width (۱۱.۳۱ µm). Rasheed cultivar irrigated with river water enriched with K showed superiority over others at both upper and lower leaf surfaces, in terms of length of stomata aperture (۵۳.۵۵ and ۵۵.۹۳ µm, respectively), stomata width (۱۷.۸۵ µm), stomata width (۴۶.۱۴ and ۳۴.۵۱ µm, respectively), and stomata length (۶۰.۶۹ and ۶۳.۰۷ µm, respectively. Isolation, purification, cloning, and Gel electrophoresis techniques confirmed the occurrence of ۵۰۰ bp. TaHKT۲;۲ genes in all ۹ investigated treatments.

کلیدواژه ها:

Wheat ، Ion antagonism ، K ، Na ، water qualities ، TaHKT۲ ، ۲ genes