Author(s): K Manoj Kumar, S Nadaradjan, A Premkumar and MK Sakthianand

Abstract: The frequency of extreme events such as droughts and floods has increased as a consequence of climate change. Many crops have not been improved to tolerate soil anoxia and, therefore, floods cause important economic losses. During waterlogging, Solanum species exhibits three distinct responses which are adventitious root production, ethylene production and aerenchyma formation. The development of a new adventitious root system is crucial as it can replace the original roots that succumb to the hypoxic environment. Solanum torvum is a wild Solanum species characterized by the presence of numerous adventitious root along with aerenchyma. In this work, we have analyzed the Solanum species to flooding to determine flood tolerance and to use them as a rootstock for future breeding programme. We have also examined them for other character viz., aerenchyma formation, ethylene, and adventitious roots plants to detect differential adaptations under flooding. Solanum torvum form an abundant adventitious root system faster than other Solanum species, which results in tolerant species accumulating as much biomass as susceptible plants. In addition, several ethylene-induced responses such as epinasty, aerenchyma production, confirms the presence of ethylene during the flooding. Therefore, our results indicate that the rapid formation of a new root system together with ethylene is responsible for faster adaptation to flooding stress in Solanum torvum.

DOI: 10.33545/26174693.2024.v8.i4f.984