Evaluation of Salt Tolerance in the Salt-Tolerant Cell Lines and Regenerants of Vitis vinifera L. Cv. Tas-A-Ganesh

Callus cultures were established from axillary bud explants of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) cv. Tas-A-Ganesh on MS medium supplemented with 2.2 ?M 6-benzylaminopurine and 10.72 ?M ?-Napthalene acetic acid. NaCl-tolerant callus lines were obtained by exposing the callus to 128.25 mM NaCl on the MS medium after ten subcultures. When salt adapted calli (at 128.25 mM NaCl) were grown with increasing concentrations (0.0 to 171 mM) of NaCl, their growth was lowest at 0.0 mM NaCl and increased linearly with increasing levels of NaCl, exhibiting their halophytic nature. However, unselected calli responded negatively with increasing concentrations of NaCl and growth was inhibited. The total soluble sugars content increased with increasing levels of NaCl in both the calli. However, total soluble sugars content was four times higher in the salt-tolerant calli than in the salt-stressed calli. The proline content was eighteen times higher in the salt-tolerant calli and twenty times higher in the plantlets generated from them than un-stressed calli. Na+ and Cl- contents increased at all levels of NaCl treatment in both the calli and regenerants of salt-tolerant calli. K+ content was decreased in both the calli with increasing levels of NaCl. However, regenerants of salt-tolerant calli grown at 128.25 mM NaCl showed significantly lower content of K+ as compared to those of un-stressed calli. Thus, potential to maintain higher levels of soluble sugars and proline, salt-tolerant calli and their regenerants adapted to grow under saline environment.