Quantification of tomato roots growth under salinity conditions

• Main Author: Stella, Ugak
• Format: Final Year Project Report
• Language: English
• Published: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, (UNIMAS) 2022
• Subjects: SB Plant culture
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/39712/1/Stella%20Ugak%20ft.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/39712/
• Institution: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

Salinity is a major and growing issue in agriculture and affects crop production through lowering germination, plant health and crop productivity. The present study looks on the response of tomato genotypes against salinity stress at seedling stage by quantifying the root growths. In order to survive to the salty environments, plants must constantly optimize their root system architecture for effective resource uptake. Root system responses to salt stress can differ between different types of roots in the root system. As a result, diverse ways of quantifying and characterizing these responses are required. This study was conducted to examines the responses of different tomato genotypes against the saltiness, by measuring the growth of the tomato roots. The main root length and number of lateral roots were measured by using an open-source software known as SmartRoot ImageJ. In this study, it was observed that 17 tomato genotypes experience reduction in main root growth under salinity stress at 125 mM of NaCl. However, VIR364 and VIR697 able to grow under 125 mM of NaCl concentration. Tomato plants lateral roots of 19 tomato genotypes experiencing reduction in the lateral root counts. The result of this study suggests that tomato genotype VIR697 has tolerance towards salt stress.