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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Canal Point, Florida » Sugarcane Field Station » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #373991
Research Project: Development of High-Yielding, Stress Tolerant Sugarcane Cultivars Using Agronomic, Genetic, and Molecular Approaches

Location: Sugarcane Field Station

Title: Effects of salt stress on flowering and growth of sugarcane

Author
item Momotaz, Aliya
item McCorkle, Katherine
item Zhao, Duli

Submitted to: American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2020
Publication Date: 6/1/2020
Citation: Momotaz, A., Mccorkle, K.M., Zhao, D. 2020. Effects of salt stress on flowering and growth of sugarcane. American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists. P.102.

Interpretive Summary: N/A

Technical Abstract: Four Sugarcane varieties (CP 96-1252, CP 00-1101, CP 06-2400, HoCP14-0885) were evaluated on two different salt 'concentrations in a pot study at the USDA-ARS Sugarcane Field Station, Canal Point, Florida to investigate effects of soil salinity on plant growth, and their response of flowering to the salinity. The experiment was designed at RCBD with three replications under three treatments. Two salt concentrations (T1=150 and T2=300mM) were maintained by adding NaCl along with one control treatment (0 = control) during the early growth stage (50 to 150 days after planting). Data of plant height (HT), tiller number (TN), and days of flower initiation and number inflorescence were taken in both control and salt-stressed plants for all tested varieties during the course of the experiment. Salt-stress conditions significantly reduced the HT of all varieties, however, no effects were observed on TN. All four genotype showed significant effect on flowering with on the salt treatments. CP96-1252, CP06-2400, CP00-1101, and HoCP14-0885 flowered at 208, 263, 303 and 260 days after planting (DAP), respectively in the control treatment. However, none of them flowered with T2. The results also revealed that moderate salt stress (T1) delayed flowering initiation about 17 days (2 weeks) in HoCP14-0855; 55 days (7-8 weeks) in CP96-1252, and the number of inflorescence per pot decreased significantly in both CP96-1252 (from 6.8 for the control to 2.7 for T1) HoCP14-0855 (from 6.5 to 0.5). CP06-2400 and CP00-1101 did not flower under any salt stress condition. This study will be repeated, and these findings can improve our knowledge in better understanding how salinity could influence on sugarcane growth and flowering.