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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2026, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (9): 100-112.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025397

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Promoting effect of 2,4-epibrassinolide on the growth of quinoa seedlings under saline-alkali stress

Ying ZHAO(), Cong-cong ZHANG, Yu-ting SONG, Chong-min ZHANG, Yue AN, Bin-bin YANG, Yong MA, Bao-qiang WANG()   

  1. College of Life Science and Technology,Gansu Agricultural University,Lanzhou 730070,China
  • Received:2025-09-29 Revised:2025-11-10 Online:2026-09-20 Published:2026-07-27
  • Contact: Bao-qiang WANG

Abstract:

The aim of this work was to investigate the mechanism by which exogenous 2,4-epibrassinolide (EBR) regulates salt and alkali stress tolerance in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) seedlings. Seedlings of the quinoa variety ‘Longli No.1’ were treated with exogenous EBR and seedling growth, chlorophyll content, osmotic regulation, antioxidant enzyme activity, and transcript levels of genes related to brassinolide (BR) synthesis and signaling under saline, alkaline and mixed saline-alkali stress conditions were determined. The results show that under saline and alkaline treatments, quinoa seedlings exhibited leaf wilting and yellowing, significant reductions in plant height, fresh weight, and chlorophyll (Chl) content, and significant increases in malondialdehyde (MDA) content, relative conductivity (RC), proline (Pro) content, and soluble sugars (SS) content (P<0.05). After foliar application of EBR under saline-alkaline stress, leaf wilting and curling symptoms were alleviated, and plant height and fresh weight were increased by 13.37% and 71.36%, respectively. The most pronounced stress-alleviating effect of EBR was observed under mixed saline and alkali stress, with the leaf Chl, Pro, and SS contents increased by an average of 12.74%, 7.68%, and 38.67%, respectively, in the EBR-treated seedlings compared with the control seedlings. Superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase activities were increased by 121.90%, 6.43%, and 27.56%, respectively, whereas MDA contents and RC were decreased by 22.30% and 18.62%, respectively, in the EBR-treated seedlings compared with the control seedlings. Treatment with EBR resulted in increased transcript levels of the BR signal transduction gene CqBAK1 and the BR synthesis gene CYP90B1. In conclusion, EBR enhances the saline-alkali tolerance of quinoa by coordinating the osmotic adjustment system, antioxidant system, and BR signaling pathway. The results of this study provide theoretical and technical support for using EBR to improve the salt tolerance of quinoa seedlings.

Key words: quinoa, 2,4-epibrassinolide, saline-alkali stress, physiological characteristics, gene expression