Phenotypic and Molecular Diversity of Salicornia bigelovii and Its Potential for Salinity-Resilient Industrial Oilseed Production.
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 127788, United Arab Emirates.
- 2Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 127788, United Arab Emirates.
- 3Division of Engineering, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates.
- 4Crop Diversification and Genetics Program, International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), Dubai P.O. Box 14660, United Arab Emirates.
- 5Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Shadan Collage of Pharmacy, Hyderabad 500091, India.
Abstract
Salicornia bigelovii is a promising oilseed crop known for its high yield potential and exceptional salt tolerance, ranking among the most salt-resistant vascular plants. Although previous studies have investigated individual phenotypic and genetic characteristics of S. bigelovii, integrated assessments combining agronomic performance, seed morphometric variation, and genetic relationships among geographically distinct accessions remain limited. This study evaluated six S. bigelovii accessions from the Texas Gulf coastline, focusing on phenotypic and morphometric traits, geographic origins, and genomic distances. Significant variability was observed among accessions in key traits, such as plant height, spike number, root length, and seed yield. Notably, the South Padre and Boca Chica accessions demonstrated superior growth and higher seed productivity compared with Corpus Christi Bridge and Galveston accessions, indicating substantial phenotypic diversity and potential for selecting high-performing accessions for breeding. Morphological analysis revealed minor but distinct differences among the six seed accessions. The southern accessions, SPN and SP, exhibited advantageous traits, including a high surface area, circularity values close to 1, and increased seed volume, suggesting favorable dispersal and flow characteristics. Multivariate analyses and hierarchal clustering showed significant relationships among accessions, providing insights for breeding programs. Phylogenetic analysis indicated the divergence of CCB and G accessions from BC, BCW, SP, and SPN. This morphological and genetic assessment establishes a foundation for accelerated molecular breeding and genomic-assisted improvement of S. bigelovii as an industrial crop.
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BibTeX
@article{alyammahi2026phenotypic,
title = {{Phenotypic and Molecular Diversity of Salicornia bigelovii and Its Potential for Salinity-Resilient Industrial Oilseed Production.}},
author = {Jawaher AlYammahi and Houda Chelaifa and Bushra G Mohammed and Hector H Hernandez},
journal = {Plants (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/plants15203210},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42943163},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Phenotypic and Molecular Diversity of Salicornia bigelovii and Its Potential for Salinity-Resilient Industrial Oilseed Production.
AU - Jawaher AlYammahi
AU - Houda Chelaifa
AU - Bushra G Mohammed
AU - Hector H Hernandez
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/19
JO - Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
DO - 10.3390/plants15203210
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42943163
AB - Salicornia bigelovii is a promising oilseed crop known for its high yield potential and exceptional salt tolerance, ranking among the most salt-resistant vascular plants. Although previous studies have investigated individual phenotypic and genetic characteristics of S. bigelovii, integrated assessments combining agronomic performance, seed morphometric variation, and genetic relationships among geographically distinct accessions remain limited. This study evaluated six S. bigelovii accessions from the Texas Gulf coastline, focusing on phenotypic and morphometric traits, geographic origins, and genomic distances. Significant variability was observed among accessions in key traits, such as plant height, spike number, root length, and seed yield. Notably, the South Padre and Boca Chica accessions demonstrated superior growth and higher seed productivity compared with Corpus Christi Bridge and Galveston accessions, indicating substantial phenotypic diversity and potential for selecting high-performing accessions for breeding. Morphological analysis revealed minor but distinct differences among the six seed accessions. The southern accessions, SPN and SP, exhibited advantageous traits, including a high surface area, circularity values close to 1, and increased seed volume, suggesting favorable dispersal and flow characteristics. Multivariate analyses and hierarchal clustering showed significant relationships among accessions, providing insights for breeding programs. Phylogenetic analysis indicated the divergence of CCB and G accessions from BC, BCW, SP, and SPN. This morphological and genetic assessment establishes a foundation for accelerated molecular breeding and genomic-assisted improvement of S. bigelovii as an industrial crop.
SN - 2223-7747
ER -