Improved salt tolerance of Chenopodium quinoa Willd. contributed by Pseudomonas sp. strain M30-35

Deyu Cai; Ying Xu; Fei Zhao; Yan Zhang; Huirong Duan; Xiaonong Guo

doi:10.7717/peerj.10702

Improved salt tolerance of Chenopodium quinoa Willd. contributed by Pseudomonas sp. strain M30-35

PeerJ. 2021 Jan 13:9:e10702. doi: 10.7717/peerj.10702. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Deyu Cai^{1

2

3}, Ying Xu², Fei Zhao¹, Yan Zhang², Huirong Duan⁴, Xiaonong Guo^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Bioengineering of State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Biomedical Research Center, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, China.
² College of Life Science and Engineering, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, China.
³ China-Malaysia National Joint Laboratory, Biomedical Research Center, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, China.
⁴ Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China.

Abstract

Background: Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can promote plant growth and enhance plant tolerance to salt stress. Pseudomonas sp. strain M30-35 might confer abiotic stress tolerance to its host plants. We evaluated the effects of M30-35 inoculation on the growth and metabolite accumulation of Chenopodium quinoa Willd. during salt stress growth conditions.

Methods: The effects of M30-35 on the growth of C. quinoa seedlings were tested under salt stress. Seedling growth parameters measured included chlorophyll content, root activity, levels of plant- phosphorus (P), and saponin content.

Results: M30-35 increased biomass production and root activity compared to non-inoculated plants fertilized with rhizobia and plants grown under severe salt stress conditions. The photosynthetic pigment content of chlorophyll a and b were higher in M30-35-inoculated C. quinoa seedlings under high salt stress conditions compared to non-inoculated seedlings. The stability of P content was also maintained. The content of saponin, an important secondary metabolite in C. quinoa, was increased by the inoculation of M30-35 under 300 mM NaCl conditions.

Conclusion: Inoculation of M30-35 rescues the growth diminution of C. quinoa seedlings under salt stress.

Keywords: Chenopodium quinoa; Photosynthesis; Plant-growth-promoting; Pseudomonas sp. strain M30-35; Salt stress.

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31760242), the Characteristic discipline of bioengineering construction for the special guide project of the “world-class universities and world-class disciplines” of Northwest Minzu University (1001070204, 11080306), the Ministry of Education of China for an Innovative Research Team in University (IRT 17R88) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities grant number (31920190021). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.