Integrated analysis of morphological traits and salinity stress-related gene expression in alfalfa (<i>Medicago sativa</i> L.) from Türkiye under magnesium sulfate and calcium chloride treatments
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE, cilt.17, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 17
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.3389/fpls.2026.1764060
- Dergi Adı: FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, Directory of Open Access Journals
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Medicago sativa L. (alfalfa) has been cultivated worldwide for thousands of years, including in T & uuml;rkiye, and is recognized as an important forage crop due to its high nutritional value, yield potential, and adaptability to diverse environmental conditions. Therefore, the development of cultivars adapted to different ecological regions and the evaluation of their performance are essential for sustainable forage production. This study examined the effects of salt stress on alfalfa growth, morphology, and gene expression. Seven alfalfa cultivars from T & uuml;rkiye (Kaval, Kayseri, El & ccedil;i, Sunter, & Ouml;zp & imath;nar, Bilensoy-Covered/Uncovered) were treated with aqueous solutions of Magnesium Sulfate (30 mM) and Calcium Chloride (30 mM). Morphological traits-including plant height, stem diameter, node number, internode length, leaf number, leaflet length, and leaflet width-were measured prior to harvest. In addition, RNA isolation, cDNA synthesis, and RT-qPCR analyses were conducted to assess the expression levels of salt stress-related genes. A decreasing trend in the expression of salt stress-related genes was observed, particularly GR was observed in the cultivars Kaval, Kayseri, & Ouml;zp & imath;nar, and Bilensoy in response to both magnesium sulfate and calcium chloride treatments. The correlation analysis (r = 0.81) suggests a strong associative relationship between GR expression and morphological performance, rather than a direct functional linkage. These findings should be interpreted as biological trends reflecting the coordinated response of the antioxidant system and plant growth under salinity stress. The results may provide a theoretical basis for the cultivation of alfalfa in soils high in MgSO4 and CaCl2.