Multivariate Analysis of Seed Germination and Early Seedling Growth in Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) Varieties under Salt Stress.

Shelar, Pramod V.; Mankar, Ganesh D.; Sontakke, Om P.; Wayase, Uttam R.; Barmukh, Rajkumar B.

The current investigation examines responses of different fenugreek varieties to salt stress during seed germination and early seedling stage to identify salt-tolerant varieties. Screening for salt tolerance can be achieved through a rapid, cost-effective, and reliable approach using seed germination and early seedling growth attributes. Fenugreek, a globally important crop, encounters challenges from salt stress, which notably diminishes its production by reducing growth and productivity. Salinity negatively impacted studied parameters, and deferential tolerance patterns were observed under different NaCl stress conditions. Multivariate analysis methods, such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA), and Multiple Correlation Analysis (MCA), can be applied to identify saltresponsive attributes of tolerant varieties and to categorize varieties based on their salt tolerance levels. The findings of PCA analysis indicate that parameters like Final Germination Percentage (FGP), t Total Germination Index (TGI), Germination Index (GI), Shoot Length (SL), Root Length (RL), Fresh Weight (FW), and Seedling Vigour (SV) could serve as alternative or supplementary indicators for assessing salt tolerance at the varietal level. AFG1 was identified as the most salt-susceptible among the varieties studied, while RMT303 demonstrated the highest salt tolerance. These salt-tolerant and susceptible varieties can be explored for their biochemical, physiological, and molecular mechanisms underlying fenugreek's salt tolerance, which could enhance breeding programs for improved resilience and benefit agriculture.

PRINCIPAL components analysis; CLUSTER analysis (Statistics); GERMINATION; MULTIVARIATE analysis; HIERARCHICAL clustering (Cluster analysis); FENUGREEK

Journal of Plant Science Research, 2024, Vol 40, Issue 3, p504

0970-2539

Academic Journal

10.32381/JPSR.2024.40.03.15