SALINITY STRESS IN SUGARCANE: GENOTYPIC VARIABILITY AND BIOSTIMULANT-DRIVEN MITIGATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32404/rean.v13i1.10041Keywords:
Saccharum spp., Sodicity tolerance, Abiotic stress, Energy cane, Soil salinityAbstract
Salinity and soil sodicity are major abiotic constraints limiting sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) establishment and biomass accumulation, particularly in irrigated regions. This study aimed to integrate the evaluation of genotypic variability for sodicity tolerance with the assessment of a seaweed-based biostimulant strategy during early sugarcane development. Under greenhouse conditions in Minas Gerais, Brazil, forty-three sugarcane genotypes were screened for sodicity tolerance using a completely randomized design in a 43 × 2 factorial arrangement (genotypes × soil salinity levels), with tolerance quantified using the sodicity tolerance index (STI, %) based on shoot dry mass. Based on this screening, two genotypes with contrasting responses, the tolerant H. Kawandang (Erianthus arundinaceus) and the susceptible cultivar SP80-1842 were selected for a second phase conducted in a completely randomized design in a 2 × 5 factorial arrangement, combining two NaCl concentrations (control and 100 mM NaCl) with five doses of an Ascophyllum nodosum based biostimulant (0, 1.25, 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 mL L-1). Plant height, shoot dry mass, and STI were evaluated. In the screening phase (first experiment), wide genotypic variability was observed, with STI values ranging from near zero to 78.33%. H. Kawandang and the energy cane hybrid Vertix 5 showed greater tolerance compared with the other evaluated genotypes. In the second experimental phase, biostimulant application promoted early plant growth and increased STI under saline conditions, with the most consistent responses observed at a dose of 5.0 mL L-1.
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