Browsing by Author "Sogoni, Avela"

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    Intercropping the halophyte Tetragonia decumbens Mill. with salt-sensitive Spinacia oleracea L. mitigated salinity stress by enhancing the physiological, biochemical, and nutritional quality of the salt-sensitive species under saline cultivation
    (Springer Nature, 2025) Keyster, Marshall; Sogoni, Avela; Jimoh, Muhali Olaide
    Increasing soil salinity is already having a significant effect on production losses of commercial vegetables around the globe. Thus, the implementation of innovative techniques is crucial to cultivate these vegetables amidst these unfavourable conditions. Halophytes are potential plants for resilient agricultural systems, such as intercropping with glycophytes, to enhance their productivity in saline soils. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the intercropping potential of the halophyte Tetragonia decumbens in alleviating the damaging effects of salinity stress on spinach (Spinacia oleracea). Spinach seedlings were grown alone and in consociation with the halophyte under various salt stresses (50, 100, 150 and 200 mM NaCl). Results showed that increasing salinity reduced crop growth, relative water content, chlorophyll, and nutritional quality of spinach in monocultured system. Similarly, high salinity treatment induced severe oxidative stress depicted by high amounts of superoxide, malondialdehyde and the upregulation of superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, polyphenols, and flavonoids. Interestingly, intercropped spinach irrigated with 50 and 100 mM revealed a substantial enhancement in crop performance, reduction in oxidative stress and had improved nutritional quality depicted by high amounts of minerals, proximate constituents, and vitamins. These results support the introduction of T. decumbens in vegetable farming systems and highlights its positive impact on improving the overall crop performance of salt sensitive vegetables under saline condition.
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    Salinity modulates morpho-physiology, biochemical and antioxidant defence system in tetragonia decumbens mill.: a neglected wild leafy vegetable in South Africa
    (Springer, 2025) Barker, Adelé Mariska; Keyster, Marshall; Sogoni, Avela
    Tetragonia decumbens is an edible halophyte that grows naturally in saline environment; however, its tolerance mechanisms are poorly understood for bio-saline agriculture. So, this research was designed to look into how salinity affects vegetative growth, leaf succulence, chlorophyll content, cation accumulation, oxidative stress indicators, and antioxidative defence mechanisms involved in the salt tolerance of T. decumbens. Saline conditions were prepared by dissolving sodium chlorine (NaCl) in the nutritive solution. The control was maintained and only watered with nutrient solution while the tested treatments contained graded NaCl doses (250, 200, 150, 100, and 50 mM). Results revealed a substantial enhancement in shoot length, number of branches, relative water content, as well as total fresh weight in plants irrigated with 50 and 100 mM NaCl in comparison to the control, while higher saline concentrations (150–250 mM NaCl) reduced plant growth and chlorophyll content. Similarly, these high salt concentrations induced more severe oxidative stress indicated by high amounts of superoxide, cell death viability and malondialdehyde, with the most pronounced effect at the highest NaCl concentration (250 mM). Nevertheless, T. decumbens modulated various defence mechanisms with increasing salinity stress, these include the upregulation of superoxide dismutase, catalase, polyphenols, flavonoids, proanthocyanidins and the build-up of sodium ions in the leaves. These results show that T. decumbens can withstand salinity by modifying its morpho-physiological traits, antioxidant defence systems, and managing ion toxicity and oxidative stress efficiently, since all plants withstand salinity without showing signs of toxicity.