Title
Silicon nutrition and mycorrhizal inoculations improve growth, nutrient status, K+/Na+ ratio
and yield of Cicer arietinum L. genotypes under salinity stress
Journal name: Plant Growth Regulation
A concise title: Salinity stress-alleviation through silicon supplementation and mycorrhization
Name of the authors
Neera Garg*and Purnima Bhandari
Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh–160014, India.
The E–mail address, telephone and fax number of the corresponding author:
E–mail address: garg_neera@yahoo.com, gargneera@gmail.com
Tel.: +91 1722534009 (O), +91 8146555190 (M)
Fax: +91 1722779510
E–mail addresses of other author:
purnima3320@gmail.com
NaCl×Si×
AM ×G
*
*
ns
*
*
*
*
*
*
ns
*
ns
ns
*
*
ns
ns
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
ns
*
*
*
*
Si×AM ×G
*
*
*
ns
*
*
*
*
*
*
ns
*
*
*
*
*
*
ns
ns
*
ns
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
NACl×AM×
G
*
*
ns
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
ns
*
*
*
ns
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
NACl×Si ×G
*
*
ns
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Ns
Ns
*
*
Ns
*
ns
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
NACl×Si×
AM
*
ns
ns
*
*
ns
*
*
*
*
*
ns
ns
*
*
ns
ns
*
*
*
*
ns
*
ns
*
*
*
*
*
AM×G
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Si×G
G
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Si×AM
AM
*
*
ns
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
NACl×G
Si
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
NACl×AM
NaCl
SDW
RDW
R/S
MC
MR
Flower number
Seed number
Pod number
Seed Yield
Above ground biomass
HI
RWC
Chl a
Chl b
Chl a/b
Total Chl
Rubisco
Mg2+ (Leaves)
Mg2+ (Root)
Si (Leaves)
Si (Root)
Na+ (Leaves)
Na+ (Root)
N (Leaves)
N (Roots)
P (Leaves)
P (Root)
K+ (Leaves)
K+ (Root)
K+/Na+ ratio (Leaves)
K+/Na+ ratio (Roots)
NACl×Si
Parameter studied
*
*
ns
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
ns
ns
*
*
ns
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
ns
ns
ns
ns
*
ns
*
*
*
*
*
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
*
*
*
*
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
*
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
*
ns
ns
*
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
*
*
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
*
*
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
*
ns
ns
*
ns
*
ns
ns
ns
ns
*
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
*
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
*
*
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
*
*
*
*
*
ns
*
ns
ns
ns
ns
*
ns
ns
ns
ns
*
*
ns
*
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
*
*
ns
*
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
ns
*Significant at P≤0.05; ns-Non significant; (-) no interaction; SDW-Shoot Dry Weight; RDW-Root Dry Weight; R/S-Root to Shoot Ratio; MC-Mycorrhizal Colonization; MR-Mycorrhizal responsiveness; HI-Harvest Index; RWC-Relative Water Content;
Chl-Chlorophyll; Chl a/b-Chlorophyll a to b ratio; Mg2+-Magnesium; Si-silicon; Na+-Sodium; N-Nitrogen; P-Phosphorus; K+-Potassium; K+/Na+- Potassium to Sodium ratio.
ESM_1: Result of the four way ANOVA test for independent variables [Salinity (NaCl), silicon (Si), arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM)
fungi, Genotype (G) and interactions amongst them in chickpea genotypes under salt stress.
ESM_2.Effect of silicon (Si) and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on (a) Na+ and (b) Si content (mg g-1 DW) in salt tolerant
(HC 3) and salt sensitive (CSG 9505) genotypes (separated by dotted line) under different levels of salinity stress (0100mM). Value are the means of six replicates ± standard error (SE). Different letters above each bar (for each treatment)
indicate significant differences assessed by Duncan multiple range test (DMRT), at P≤0.05. Control- Si and AM fungi
absent; +Si-4mM Si present; +AM- AM fungi present; +Si+AM- 4mM Si with AM fungi.
ESM_3. Effect of silicon (Si) and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on (a) chlorophyll a and (b) chlorophyll b content (mg g-1
FW) in leaves of salt tolerant (HC 3) and salt sensitive (CSG 9505) genotypes (separated by dotted line) under different
levels of salinity stress (0-100mM). Value are the means of six replicates ± standard error (SE). Different letters above each
bar (for each treatment) indicate significant differences assessed by Duncan multiple range test (DMRT), at P≤0.05. ControlSi and AM fungi absent; +Si-4mM Si present; +AM- AM fungi present; +Si+AM- 4mM Si with AM fungi.
ESM_4. Effect of silicon (Si) and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on (a) nitrogen (N), (b) potassium (K) content (c)
phosphorus (P) and (d) magnesium (Mg2+) (mg g-1 DW) in roots of salt tolerant (HC 3) and salt sensitive (CSG 9505)
genotypes (separated by dotted line) under different levels of salinity stress (0-100mM). Value are the means of six
replicates ± standard error (SE). Different letters above each line (for each treatment) indicate significant differences
assessed by Duncan multiple range test (DMRT), at P≤0.05. Control- Si and AM fungi absent; +Si-4mM Si present; +AMAM fungi present; +Si+AM- 4mM Si with AM fungi.
ESM_5. Effect of silicon (Si) and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on (a) flower number (b) pod number and (c) seed number
(g plant-1 ) of salt tolerant (HC 3) and salt sensitive (CSG 9505) genotypes (separated by dotted line) under different levels
of salinity stress (0-100mM). Value are the means of six replicates ± standard error (SE). Different letters above each line
(for each treatment) indicate significant differences assessed by Duncan multiple range test (DMRT), at P≤0.05. ControlSi and AM fungi absent; +Si-4mM Si present; +AM- AM fungi present; +Si+AM- 4mM Si with AM fungi.