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@article{185728,
        author = {Dr. M. Ghan Singh},
        title = {Enhancing Salt Stress Tolerance in Solanum torvum L.: An In Vitro Approach Using NaCl and KCl Selection},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2025},
        volume = {12},
        number = {5},
        pages = {3003-3008},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=185728},
        abstract = {Environmental stresses, particularly soil salinity and drought, significantly reduce agricultural productivity worldwide by inhibiting plant growth and lowering crop yields. Soil salinity, mainly caused by sodium chloride (NaCl) and potassium chloride (KCl), induces ionic toxicity, osmotic stress, and metabolic disturbances, affecting plant survival and development. Understanding the molecular and physiological mechanisms of salt stress tolerance is crucial for developing resilient plant varieties.
This study aimed to develop NaCl- and KCl-tolerant cell lines in Solanum torvum, a medicinally valuable species. Seeds were surface-sterilised and germinated aseptically on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. Leaf explants from eight-week-old seedlings were cultured on a regeneration medium supplemented with NaCl (0.1–1.0%) and KCl (0.1–1.25%) to determine the tolerance thresholds. Concentrations causing 90% inhibition of regeneration were identified as 0.75% NaCl and 1.0% KCl. Selected stress-tolerant shoots were subcultured on fresh selective medium, and rooted plantlets were transferred to soil supplemented with NaCl/KCl for acclimatisation.
Results indicated a gradual decline in regeneration with increasing salt concentrations, with complete inhibition at 1.0% NaCl and 1.25% KCl. Salt-tolerant shoots showed enhanced proliferation compared to unselected controls, with KCl-tolerant shoots producing more roots (16.4 ± 0.24 roots/explant) than NaCl-tolerant ones. Upon soil transfer, survival rates were 46% and 64% for NaCl- and KCl-tolerant plantlets, respectively. Screening confirmed stable salt tolerance, as unselected shoots did not survive under stress.
These findings provide a foundation for further genetic and physiological studies on salt stress resilience in S. torvum, which can be leveraged for breeding programs and biotechnological approaches aimed at improving salt tolerance in solanaceous crops.},
        keywords = {Solanum torvum, salt tolerance, NaCl, KCl, in vitro selection, plant stress physiology.},
        month = {October},
        }