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Physiological response mechanisms and comprehensive germplasm evaluation of salt-alkali tolerance in Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) at the seedling stage

Huang Li-Xia1,2,Zhao Min1,2,Gu Meng-Yuan1,2,Zhang Wei-Wei1,2,Zhen Yi-Yue1,2,Liu Long-Long1,Ma Ming-Chuan1,Liu Zhang1,Xu Shi-Rui1,Qin Lu-Jun3,Zhang Li-Jun1,*   

  1. 1 Research Center for Agricultural Genetic Resources, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan 030031, Shanxi, China; 2 College of Agriculture, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong 030801, Shanxi, China; 3 Changzhi Agricultural and Rural Bureau, Changzhi 046000, Shanxi, China
  • Received:2026-05-06 Revised:2026-08-21 Accepted:2026-08-21 Published:2026-08-25
  • Supported by:
    This study was supported by the China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA (CARS-07-A-2), the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Project of Shanxi Agricultural University (YGC20201), the Shanxi Provincial Key Research and Development Program Project (2022ZDYF110), and the Shanxi Provincial Modern Industrial Technology System Construction Project (2025CYJSTX03-11).

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Abstract:

Soil salinization is a major abiotic stress that severely restricts buckwheat growth. To construct a comprehensive evaluation system for salt-alkali tolerance at the seedling stage and to screen elite germplasm, this study systematically compared the stress effects of neutral salts (NaCl, Na2SO4) and alkaline salts (NaHCO3, Na2CO3). Seedlings of 160 buckwheat accessions were exposed to three concentrations of each salt. Fourteen agronomic traits and three physiological indicators—glycine betaine (GB), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and Na+/H+ antiporter (NHX)—were measured. Principal component analysis and the membership function method were used to calculate the comprehensive salt tolerance index (D-value). Cluster analysis and stepwise regression were then employed to construct an identification model, and the underlying physiological response mechanisms were investigated. Alkaline salts inhibited growth more severely than neutral salts, with the inhibitory effect ranked as Na2CO3 > NaHCO3 > Na2SO4 ≈ NaCl. Principal component analysis extracted three principal components that cumulatively explained 76.40%–80.78% of the total variance. The first principal component (PC1, explaining 55.72%–59.65% of the variance) was dominated by root traits, including root fresh weight, root dry weight, and root projected area. Based on the D-value, cluster analysis classified the germplasm into five grades ranging from highly tolerant to extremely sensitive. Screening by agronomic traits alone identified seven accessions that consistently exhibited high tolerance across all four salt stresses. Integration of physiological indicators further identified five accessions that combined superior agronomic performance with physiological resistance. Stepwise regression generated a high-precision identification model (R2 = 0.992–0.997, P < 0.01) and pinpointed nine core indicators for evaluating seedling salt-alkali tolerance: plant height, longest root length, stem diameter, shoot fresh weight, root fresh weight, root dry weight, root surface area, root volume, and leaf area. Physiological analysis revealed a “dynamic strategy switching” mechanism by which buckwheat adapts to different salt stresses. Under NaCl stress, tolerance was positively correlated with NHX content, whereas under Na2SO4 and alkaline salt stresses, it was significantly negatively correlated with ROS accumulation. Glycine betaine played distinct antioxidant regulatory roles under neutral versus alkaline salt stresses. This study established a comprehensive evaluation system for seedling salt-alkali tolerance in buckwheat, identified elite germplasm and core indicators, and provided a theoretical basis and valuable germplasm resources for elucidating salt-alkali tolerance mechanisms and for molecular breeding.

Key words: buckwheat, seedling stage, salt-alkali tolerance, germplasm screening, comprehensive evaluation, physiological mechanism

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