Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Natural Resources Research Department, Isfahan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Isfahan, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Physiology, Payam Noor of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

3 Former Ph.D. Student, Department of Plant Ecophysiology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

4 Former M.Sc. Student, Department of Plant Physiology, Payam Noor of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

Abstract

In order to investigate the effect of irrigation water salinity on some characteristics of Ajowan (Carum copticum L. C.B. Clarke), a field experiment has been conducted in a completely randomized design with 3 replications in Isfahan, Iran during 2013. The treatments involve different levels of saline water, namely 2.5 (control), 6, 9, and 18 dS.m-1. The determined traits include the yield, biochemical parameters, mineral contents, and seed essential oil content and quality. Results show that increasing salinity decreases biological yield and seed yield. Changes in essential oil components, caused by salinity, have been low, showing no specific trend. The major compound in the seed essential oil of C. capticum is thymol (56.1% to 61.2% of the essential oil). The highest concentration of total protein (root: 3.6 and shoot: 8.2 mg g-1 DW) is assigned to the control treatment, dropping significantly as salinity levels rise. Increasing salinity enhances the amount of proline and reducing sugars so that the highest amount of root proline, equal to 12 mg g-1 FW, and reducing sugars (root: 30.5 and shoot: 62 mg g-1 DW) comes from salinity of 18 dS.m-1. Increasing salinity levels raises the amount of phenolic compounds in the shoot, though this increase has not been considerable. The treatment of 18 dS.m-1 has had the lowest concentration of K+ (root: 5 and shoot: 22 mg g-1 DW) and the highest concentration of Na+ (root: 54 and shoot: 64 mg g-1 DW).It can be concluded that by increasing salinity levels, the amount of resistant osmolytes rises.

Keywords

Abdoli, S., Ghassemi-Golezani, K. & Alizadeh-Salteh, S. (2020). Responses of ajowan (Trachyspermum ammi L.) to exogenous salicylic acid and iron oxide nanoparticles under salt stress. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 1-15.
Al-karaki, G.N. (2000). Growth, sodium and potassium uptake and translocation in salt stressed Tomato. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 23(3), 369-379.
Ashraf, M. & Orooj, A. (2006). Salt Stress Effects on growth, ion accumulation and seed oil concentration in an arid zone traditional medicinal plant Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi [L.] Sprague). Journal of Arid Environments, 64(2), 209-220.
Avio, L., Maggini, R., Ujvari, G., Incrocci, L., Giovannetti, M. & Turrini, A. (2020).  Phenolics content and antioxidant activity in the leaves of two artichoke cultivars are differentially affected by six mycorrhizal symbionts. Scientia Horticulturae, 264(10954), 1-8.
Baatour, O., Kaddour, R., Aidi Wannes, W., Lachaa, M. & Marzouk, B. (2010). Salt effects on the growth, mineral nutrition, essential oil yield and composition of marjoram (Origanum majorana L.). Acta Physiology Plant, 32, 45–51.
Bijani, M., Yadollahi, P., Heidari, M., Latifi, M., Asgharipour, M.R. & Ramrudi, M. (2015). Effect of saline water and chemicalorganic fertilizers on nutrient uptake and yield of ajowan (Carum copticum (L.) C. B. Clarke). Journal of Crop Ecophysiology, 7(22), 66-141. (in Persian).
Davazdahemami, S. & Majnoon Hosseini, N. (2014). Cultivation and production of certain herbs and spices. Tehran University Press (3rd edition). (In Persian).
Davazdahemami, S., Jahansooz, M.R. Mazaheri, D. & Sefidkon, F. (2010). Effects of irrigation water salinity on germination, emergency, biological yield, essence quality and quantity of Moldavian Balm (Dracocephalum moldavica L.). Plant Production Technology, 10(1), 25-33. (in Persian).
Dehghan, A. & Rahimmalek, M. (2018). The effect of salt stress on morphological traits and essential oil content of Iranian and foreign yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.) genotypes. Journal of Science and Technology of Greenhouse Culture, 9 (2), 23-38. (In Persian).
Dokhani, S., Mortezaei-Nejhad, F. & Davazdahemami, S. (2012). Effect of sowing season on growth and oil chemical composition of Ajowain (Carum capticom L.) under salinity stress. Journal of Herbal Drugs (An International Journal on Medicinal Herbs), 3(2), 81-88.
Frary, A., Gol, D., Kels, D., Okmen, B., Pinar, H., Sigva, O., Yemenicioglu, H.A. & Doganlar, S. (2010). Salt tolerance in Solanum pennellii, antioxidant response and related QTL. BMC Plant Biology, 10, 58.
Haghiroalsadat F. 2010. The chemical assessment of seed essence and the Comparison of antioxidant effect among three native medicinal plants of the Yazd province (Bunium persicum Boiss, Cuminum cyminum L., Trachyspermum copticum L.). Shahid Beheshti University. Faculty of Biosciences. MSC Thesis. (In Persian).
Hanlon, E.A. (1998). Elemental determination by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. In, 14 Handbook of Reference Methods for Plant Analysis, Karla, Y.P. (Ed). CRC Pres, USA, 15 ISBN, 1-57444-124-8, pp, 157-164.
Hussain, A., Khan, Z.I., Ashraf, M., Rashid, M.H. & Akhtar, M.S. (2004). Effect of salt stress on some growth attributes of sugarcane cultivars CP-77-400 and Coj- 84. International Journal of Agriculture and Biology, 1, 188-191.
Hussain, K., Majeed, A., Nawaz, K., Hayat, K. & Farrukh nisar, M. (2009). Effect of different levels of salinity on growth and ion contents of Black seed (Nigella sativa L.). Current Research Journal of Biological Sciences, 1(3), 135-138.
James, R.A., Davenport, R.J. & Munns, R. (2006). Physiological characterization of two genes for Na+ exclusion in durum wheat, Nax1 and Nax2. Plant Physiology, 142, 1537-1547.
Jiang, L. & Duan, L. (2006). NaCl salinity stress decreased Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) protein content of transgenic Bt cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) seedlings. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 55(3), 315-320.
Jouyban, Z. (2012). The effects of salt stress on plant growth. Technical Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 2, 7-10.
Kaydan, D., Yagmur, M. & Okut, N. (2007). Effects of salicylic acid on the growth and some physiological characters in salt stressed wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Tarim Bilimleri Cergisi, 13(2), 114-119.
Makkizadeh Tafti, M., Tavakol Afshari, R., Majnoon Hosseini, N. & Naghdi Badi, H.A. (2008). Evaluation of salinity tolerance and absorption of salt by Borage (Borago officinalis L.). Iranian Journal of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, 24(3), 253-262.
Mansouri, H., Ahmadi Moghaddam, A. & Rohani, N. (2007). Response of mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal bean plants to salinity stress. Iranian Journal of Biology, 20(1), 80-88. (In Persian).
Mardokhi, B., Rejali, F. & Malakooti, M. (2007). Increasing resistance of wheat plant to salinity through inoculation with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi. In, 10th Soil Science Congress of Iran, Iran, 26 August 2007. (In Persian)
Mirzaei, S., Rahimi, A., Dashti, H. & Maddah Hosseini, S.H. (2012). The effect of using calcium and potassium in Ammi. Iranian Journal of Field Crops Research, 10(1), 189-197. (In Persian).
Mohagheghzadeh, A., Faridi, P. & Ghasemi, Y. (2007). Carum copticum Benth and Hook, essential oil chemotypes. Food Chemistry, 100, 1217–1219.
Momeni, T. & Shahrokhi, N. (2015). Herbal essential oils and their therapeutic effects. University of Tehran Publications (4th edition). (In Persian).
Munns, R. (2005). Genes and salt tolerance, bringing them together. New phytologist. Tansley reviews. CSIRO.
Najafi, S.H. (2011). Medicinal plants. Marandiz press, Mashhad. (In Persian).
Piri, I., Keshtegar, M., Tavassoli, A. & Babaeian, M. (2017). Effect of salinity on osmotic adjustment, yield and essence of local landraces Ajowan (Trachyspermum ammi L.). Journal of Crop Ecophysiology, 3(43), 519-530. (In Persian).
Rahimi, Z. & Kafi, M. (2010). Effects of salinity and silicon application on biomass accumulation, sodium and potassium content of leaves and roots of purslane (Portulaca  oleracea  L.). Journal of Water and Soil, 24(2), 374-367. (In Persian).
Ramezani, M., Seghatoleslami, M., Sayyari Zohan, M. & Moosavi, S. (2017). Effect of salinity and foliar application of Zn and Fe on yield and morphological and quality traits of Carum copticum. Environmental Stresses in Crop Sciences, 10(4), 595-604. (In Persian). doi, 10.22077/escs.2017.634
Ranjbar, Gh. and H. Pirasteh-Anosheh. (2015). A glance to the salinity research in Iran with emphasis on improvement of field crops production. Iranian Journal of Crop Sciences, 17(2): 165 -178. (In Persian).
Razavizadeh, R. & Mohagheghiyan, N. (2015). An investigation of changes in antioxidant enzymes activities and secondary metabolites of thyme (Thymus vulgaris) seedlings under in vitro salt stress, Iranian Journal of Plant Biology, 26(7), 41-58. (In Persian).
Razavizadeh, R., Adabavazeh, F. & Rezaee Chermahini, M. (2017). Adaptive responses of Carum copticum to in vitro salt stress. International Journal of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, 11(1), 37-42.
Renault, S. (2005). Response of red osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera) seedlings to sodium sulphate salinity, effects of supplemental calcium. Physiological Plantarum, 123, 75–81.
Rezaei, M.A., Khavarinejad, R. & Fahimi, H. (2004). Physiological response of cotton plant to different soil salinity. Journal of Research and Construction in Agriculture and Horticulture, 62,81-89.
Sabar, A.G. (2010). A comparative biochemical study of proteins profile in Iraqi tract stones by using seeds of Carum copticum. Iraqi Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 19(2), 38-41.
Sadati, S., Raoufi, A., Moradi, F. & Fallah Barzouki, S. (2014). Determination of salinity tolerance in the ecotypes of ajowan. In, 13 th Iranian Agronomy and Plant Breeding Congress and 3rd Seed Science and Technology Conference. 26 -28 August, Karaj, Iran. (In Persian).
Sadeghi Gol, F., Sadat Nouri, S. A. & Ramshini, H. (2014). Evaluation of salinity tolerance in germination stage in 28 native populations of Ajowan medicinal plant. In, 13th Iranian Agronomy and Plant Breeding Congress and 3rd Seed Science and Technology Conference. 26 -28 August, Karaj, Iran. (In Persian).
Shafeghat, M., Najafi, S. & Razavi zadeh, R. (2016). Phytochemical and antibacterial properties of the essential oils of medical plant Ajowan (Carum copticum L.) by micro dilution method. Iranian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine. 68, 43-47. (In Persian).
Stamp, N. (2003). Out of the quagmire of plant defense hypotheses. The Quarterly Review of Biology, 78(1), 23- 55.
Sulaiman, A., Umar M. Yunusa, U., Ibrahim, M., Bello, H. and Yunusa, I. (2019). Phytonutrients and mineral analysis of Cymbopogan citratus leaves. Chemistry Research Journal, 4(2), 79-86.
Taiz, L. & Zeiger, E. (2010). Plant Physiology. 5th Ed, Sinauer Associates Inc., Sunderland. 
Tamam, A., Alhamed, A.M.F.A. & Hemeda, M.M. (2008). Study of salt tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar Banysoif. Australian Journal of crop science, 1(3), 115-125.
Tran, T. K., Tran, T.H., Le, T.H, Xuan, T.L., Phan, Q.A., Cam, T.I. and Long, G.B. (2020). Development of an aromatic wax product containing natural Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) essential oil. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. 736.
Vafadar, Z., Rahimmalek, M., Sabzalian, M.R. & Nikbakht, A. (2018). Effect of salt stress and harvesting time on morphological and physiological characteristics of Myrtle (Myrthus communis). Journal of Plant Process and Function, 7(23), 33-44. (In Persian).
Vojodi Mehrabani, L., Hassanpour aghdam, M. & Valizadeh Kamran, R. (2017). Growth and some physiological characteristics of savory (Satureja hortensis L.) as affected by salinity stress. Journal of Crop Ecophysiology, 11(1), 99-110. (In Persian).