Effects of Salinity Stress on Morphological and Physiological Traits of Three Ecotypes of Mentha longifolia L.

Mohammed Khudhair Al Jazea, Hayder; Abedy, Bahram; Nemati, Seyyed Hossein

doi:10.22092/ijmapr.2025.365475.3438

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

¹ Department of Horticultural Science and Landscape Architecture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran.

² associate professor and faculty member of the Department of Horticultural Science and Landscape Architecture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran.

³ Assistant professor, and member of the academic staff of the Department of Horticultural Science and Landscape Architecture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran.

10.22092/ijmapr.2025.365475.3438

Abstract

Background and objectives: Mentha longifolia L. belongs to the Mentha genus and the mint family (Lamiaceae). This plant naturally grows in moist environments, such as riverbanks, and its cultivation in fields and greenhouses requires high-quality water. Water and soil salinity are among the most critical agricultural challenges in hot and arid regions. In such areas, soil salinity and water scarcity are the primary factors that reduce the growth and yield of crops. Identifying and utilizing ecotypes and cultivars resistant to salinity stress can help prevent production losses. This study aims to investigate the effects of different water salinity levels on the morphological and physiological traits of three wild brookmint ecotypes to identify the most salt-tolerant ecotype.
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted using a completely randomized design in factorial form with two factors at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. The first factor was ecotype, with three levels (E1: South Khorasan, E2: Lorestan, E3: Fars), and the second factor was salinity stress, with four levels (0, 75, 100, and 150 mM sodium chloride). Salt stress treatments were applied beginning at the four-leaf stage, and at the eight-leaf stage, morphological traits were measured, including plant height, number of leaves, number of flowers, flower length, fresh and dry leaf weights, and fresh and dry root weights. Physiological traits assessed included chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total carotenoids, electrolyte leakage, total phenol content, total flavonoid content, proline content, and total carbohydrate content. Data was analyzed using Minitab 19 software.
Results: The results showed that the main effects of ecotype and salinity stress and their interaction significantly influenced morphological traits such as plant height, root weight, and root dry weight. The main effects of ecotype and salinity stress on leaf weight and leaf dry weight were also significant. However, the main and interaction effects on traits such as number of leaves, number of flowers, and flower length were not significant. Salinity stress significantly reduced morphological traits in all ecotypes compared to the control, including plant height, leaf weight, dry weight, root weight, and dry weight. Regarding physiological traits, the main effects of ecotype and salinity stress, along with their interaction, significantly affected chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, electrolyte leakage, total flavonoid content, and proline content. The main effects of ecotype and salinity stress on total phenol content were significant, while their effects and interactions on carbohydrate content were not significant. Salinity stress led to a reduction in chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoids. Conversely, this stress increased proline content, electrolyte leakage, and the levels of total phenol and flavonoid compounds in the leaves compared to the control.
Conclusion: Based on the evaluation of the measured traits in the three wild brookmint ecotypes, it was evident that these ecotypes responded differently to salinity stress. The results indicated that the E1 ecotype (South Khorasan) was superior to the others in terms of the traits studied and exhibited greater tolerance to salinity stress conditions.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Agriculture and horticulture

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Effects of Salinity Stress on Morphological and Physiological Traits of Three Ecotypes of Mentha longifolia L.

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Volume 41, Issue 2 - Serial Number 124July 2025Pages 308-324

Volume 41, Issue 2 - Serial Number 124
July 2025
Pages 308-324