In: Phyton 60, Fasc. (2020): S. 11-20 DOI: 10.12905/0380.phyton60-2020-0011; Published online on 23 November 2020

Assessment of genetic diversity and salt tolerance of ten faba bean (Vicia faba) cultivars in relation to seed germination, seedling growth and molecular approach

Ahmed M. Hassanein, Mohamed M. Azooz, Naglaa Loutfy & Abd-Elkader Bassiony
with 7 figures and 3 tables

Key words: Cultivars, salinity tolerance, isoenzymes, SDS-PAGEs, RAPD, ISSR, Vicia faba, faba bean.

Summary
Hassanein A. M., Azooz M. M., Loutfy N. & Bassiony A. 2020. Assessment of genetic diversity and salt tolerance of ten faba bean (Vicia faba) cultivars in relation to seed germination, seedling growth and molecular approach. – Phyton (Horn, Austria) 60: 11–20, with 7 figures and 3 tables.*
This study was conducted to identify how to choose the appropriate method that enables the selection of the most suitable faba bean (Vicia faba) cultivar, which if planted in saline soil increased its productivity. The obtained data indicated that the cultivars Giza 843, Misr 1, Misr 3, Nobaria 1 and Wadi 1 germinated and continued seedling growth under low and relatively high concentrations of NaCl; they were more salt tolerant than Giza 716, Nobaria 3, Sakha 1, Sakha 3 and Sakha 4. Seed germination and seedling growth indicated that Giza 843 was the most tolerant, but Giza 716 was the most sensitive faba bean cultivar. Dendrograms obtained from gene expression (SOD, EST and SDS-PAGEs) or genomic DNA (RAPD and ISSR) grouped Giza 843 and Giza 716 with Misr 1, Misr 3, and Nobaria 1 in the same sub-cluster as relatively tolerant cultivars. The study of growth parameters of three-week-old plants grown in liquid culture for two weeks showed that the response of Giza 843 or Giza 716 to saline treatments was the same, consistent with the results of molecular studies. Data indicated that growth measurements of the vegetative phase of the plant was more appropriate than those of germination stage to evaluate the ability of different faba bean cultivars to tolerate salinity at relatively low or relatively high levels. The obtained results also demonstrated the reliability of molecular studies to illustrate the relationship between the cultivars and their relation to resistance to the studied factor.