Unraveling salt stress effects in guard cells of salt stressed Vicia faba L genotypes that contrast in their degree to salt tolerance

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Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is an important source for dietary protein intake for both, human and livestock and is often cultivated at locations with limited soil properties, i.e. dry land agriculture with irrigation or high salt loadings. About 30% of the irrigated cropland are affected by salinity. Unraveling physiological adaptation mechanisms that lead to a better understanding of salt tolerance is therefore an important scientific objective for improving tolerance of hitherto salt sensitive crops. Faba bean is classified as a salt sensitive crop. Nevertheless, genetic material is available that shows a gradient in the degree of salt resistance of faba bean. This enables to conduct a study using genotypes that belonging to the same species but markedly vary in their degree of salt tolerance. Such a project will reveal contrasting features of physiological functions that may bear a causal relation to the differential response to salt. This work aims to diversify crop production by arming breeders with new physiological knowledge about tolerance mechanisms of field beans to salt. In particular, this project aims to analyze salt stress effects on stomata-related processes. Stomata dysfunctions would inevitably have severe detrimental effects on growth and development. Therefore, a genotype that is able to maintain guard cell functionality and water status might have a better performance under salt stress. To our best knowledge, dicotyl guard cells were never before subjected to such a study that aims to identify mechanisms underlying eco-physiological adjustments to salt stress.