Effect of Salinity and Nitrogen Sources on the Leaf Quality, Biomass, and Metabolic Responses of Two Ecotypes of <i>Portulaca oleracea</i>
Maria Camalle,
Dominic Standing,
Mohammed Jitan,
Rana Muhaisen,
Nidal Bader,
Majed Bsoul,
Yvonne Ventura,
Aigerim Soltabayeva,
Moshe Sagi
Affiliations
Maria Camalle
French Associates Institute for Agricultural and Biotechnology of Drylands, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Sede Boqer Campus, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
Dominic Standing
French Associates Institute for Agricultural and Biotechnology of Drylands, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Sede Boqer Campus, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
Mohammed Jitan
National Centre for Agricultural Research and Extension (NARC), Water Management and Environmental Program, Baqa’a 19381, Jordan
Rana Muhaisen
National Centre for Agricultural Research and Extension (NARC), Water Management and Environmental Program, Baqa’a 19381, Jordan
Nidal Bader
National Centre for Agricultural Research and Extension (NARC), Water Management and Environmental Program, Baqa’a 19381, Jordan
Majed Bsoul
National Centre for Agricultural Research and Extension (NARC), Water Management and Environmental Program, Baqa’a 19381, Jordan
Yvonne Ventura
French Associates Institute for Agricultural and Biotechnology of Drylands, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Sede Boqer Campus, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
Aigerim Soltabayeva
French Associates Institute for Agricultural and Biotechnology of Drylands, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Sede Boqer Campus, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
Moshe Sagi
French Associates Institute for Agricultural and Biotechnology of Drylands, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Sede Boqer Campus, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
Halophytic plants are, by definition, well adapted to saline soils. However, even halophytes can face nutritional imbalance and the accumulation of high levels of compounds such as oxalic acid (OA), and nitrate (NO3−). These compounds compromise the potential nutritional health benefits associated with salt-tolerant plants such as Portulaca oleracea or Purslane. Purslane has long been known to be a highly nutritious leafy vegetable particularly with respect to high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Thus, preventing the accumulation of non-nutritional compounds will allow plants to be grown in saline conditions as crops. Two ecotypes (ET and RN) of Portulaca oleracea plants were grown under growth room conditions with two levels of salinity (0, 50 mM NaCl) and three ratios of nitrate: ammonium (0:100%; 33:66%; 25:75% NO3−:NH4+). The results show that both ecotypes, when exposed to elevated NO3−, showed severe leaf chlorosis, high levels of OA, citric acid, and malic acid. Compared to ecotype RN, ecotype ET, exposed to elevated NH4+ concentrations (33% and 75%) and 50 mM NaCl, displayed a marked reduction in OA content, increased total chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, crude protein content, total fatty acid (TFA) and α-Linolenic acid (ALA), enhancing leaf quality. This opens the potential to grow high biomass, low OA P. oleracae crops. Lastly, our experiments suggest that ecotype ET copes with saline conditions and elevated NH4+ through shifts in leaf metabolites.
