How does blue panicgrass ( Panicum antidotale Retz.) respond to salinity stress?

Abstract BACKGROUND With the growing impacts of salinity and climate change on agricultural systems, developing innovative and resilient solutions has become crucial to meet these challenges. This study aimed to evaluate the tolerance of blue panicgrass ( Panicum antidotale Retz.), an alternative forage crop, to increased levels of irrigation water salinity. Six salinity levels (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 dS m −1 ) were tested in a completely randomized design under controlled environment. RESULTS Our findings revealed that P. antidotale maintained stable biomass production up to 10 dS m −1 , with a subsequent decline of 44% at 20 dS m −1 and 65% at 25 dS m −1 . At 25 dS m −1 , hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde evels increased significantly by 21% and 98%, respectively, compared to the control. In addition, there was a substantial decrease in stomatal conductance (−55% starting at 10 dS m −1 ), chlorophyll content (−25% starting at 20 dS m −1 ) and relative water content (−15% starting at 20 dS m −1 ), leading to a 53% decrease in the photosynthesis performance index (i.e. PI ABS ) under 25 dS m −1 compared to the control. Moreover, sodium accumulation significantly increased with salinity treatment, particularly in roots, whereas potassium levels remained unchanged, suggesting ion exclusion as tolerance mechanism. Additionally, the K/Na ratio in shoots was ten‐fold higher than in roots. CONCLUSION Overall, the results of the present study demonstrate the salt tolerance of blue panicgrass, highlighting its potential as a superior forage crop in saline environments, and emphasize the need for field‐based research to develop strategies that maintain high productivity and quality on marginal lands. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.