Response of Chili Pepper (Capsicum spp.) Cultivars Cultivated in Benin to Salt Stress at Germination Stage
Julien Koffi Kpinkoun
Laboratoire de Physiologie Végétale et d’Etude des Stress Environnementaux, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques (FAST/UAC), 01BP526, Tri Postal, Cotonou, République du Bénin
Séraphin Ahissou Zanklan
Laboratoire de Physiologie Végétale et d’Etude des Stress Environnementaux, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques (FAST/UAC), 01BP526, Tri Postal, Cotonou, République du Bénin
David Montcho
Ecole de Gestion de la Production Végétale et Semencière, Université Nationaled’Agriculture (Kétou), République du Bénin
Eliane Kinsou
Laboratoire de Physiologie Végétale et d’Etude des Stress Environnementaux, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques (FAST/UAC), 01BP526, Tri Postal, Cotonou, République du Bénin
Françoise Assogba Komlan
Centre de Recherches Agricoles Plantes Pérennes (CRA-PP), Pobè, Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin (INRAB), Abomey-Calavi, République du Bénin
Armel C. G. Mensah
Centre de Recherches Agricoles Plantes Pérennes (CRA-PP), Pobè, Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin (INRAB), Abomey-Calavi, République du Bénin
Agapit Dossou Wouyou
Laboratoire de Physiologie Végétale et d’Etude des Stress Environnementaux, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques (FAST/UAC), 01BP526, Tri Postal, Cotonou, République du Bénin
Christophe Bernard Gandonou *
Laboratoire de Physiologie Végétale et d’Etude des Stress Environnementaux, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques (FAST/UAC), 01BP526, Tri Postal, Cotonou, République du Bénin
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: In this study, salt resistance level of six chili (Capsicum spp.) cultivars including five local cultivars (Adologbo, Gbatakin, Pili-pili, Gbatakin d’Agbédranfo, TPS0251) and one imported variety (Démon) grown in Benin was evaluated at the germination stage.
Study Design: The experiment was laid out as a completely randomized design with four replications.
Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was carried out in the Laboratory of Plant Physiologyand Abiotic Stresses Study of University of Abomey-Calavi, Republic of Benin from September through October, 2016.
Methodology: Seeds were submitted to treatment with five NaCl concentrations (0; 30; 60; 90 and 120 mM NaCl) in petri dishes.Seed germination was checked every day during sixteen days incubation period. Four replicates of 40 seeds each were used.
Results: From day 2 to day 16, NaCl delayed seed germination rate proportionately to NaCl concentration except for cultivars TPS0251 and Démon. At the end of the 16 days, NaCl stress effects on seed germination of cultivars were significantly variable. No significant reduction was observed for cultivars Démon and TPS0251 whereas a significant decrease was observed for the four other cultivars with a significant difference among them. The average reduction due to NaCl stress was lower for cultivars Démon (0%) and TPS0251 (4.31%) and higher for cultivar Pili-pili (63.61%). Salt Tolerance Index was significantly variable according to the cultivar with the highest values for cultivar Démon (1.227) and TPS0251 (1.127) and the weakest values for cultivars Pili-pili (0.374) and Gbatakin d’Agbédranfo (0.46).
Conclusion: NaCl stress delayed seed germination and reduced the rate of final germination. Salt Tolerance Index was variable among the six cultivars: cultivars Démon and TPS0251 appeared to be the most salt resistant whereas Pili-pili and Gbatakin d’Agbédranfo appeared as the most salt sensitive at germination stage. For the first time, we demonstrated a variability of relative salinity resistance among local chili pepper cultivars at germination stage.
Keywords: Capsicum spp, cultivars, germination, salt tolerance index, salt-resistance