Zinc Sulfate Foliar Application Effects on Some Physiological Characteristics and Phenolic and Essential Oil Contents of Lavandula stoechas L. Under Sodium Chloride (NaCl) Salinity Conditions

Lavandula stoechas L. plant is a perennial evergreen used as a fragrant ornamental and medicinal plant. In order to study the effect of foliar spray of zinc sulfate (ZnSO₄) (0, 1000, and 2000 mgL^?1) and sodium chloride (NaCl) salinity (0, 75, and 150 mM) on some physiological characteristics of Lavandula stoechas L. plants, a pot experiment was carried out at the Research Greenhouse of Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Iran. Physiological characteristics [root and leaf dry weights, total soluble solids (TSSs), total anthocyanins, chlorophyll b, Zn²⁺, potassium (K⁺) contents, and K⁺/Na⁺ ratio] were significantly affected by the interaction effects of ZnSO₄ foliar application and salinity levels. The highest root dry weight, chlorophyll b, anthocyanin, and Zn contents as well as TSS were found in the plants with NaCl₀ × ZnSO_{4 2000} mgL^?1. For Na⁺, the greatest value was recorded with NaCl ₁₅₀ × ZnSO₄₀. The highest K⁺/Na⁺ ratio was found in the control plants. Foliar application of ZnSO₄ promoted the total phenolic content, especially at 2000 mgL^–1. The highest amounts of flower dry weights were recorded at NaCl₀. Chlorophyll a, total flavonoids, stem dry weight, and essential oil content were affected with ZnSO₄ treatment and salinity levels. The highest values for the essential oil content, chlorophyll a content, and stem dry weight were attained by the nonsaline treatment. Both foliar application levels positively influenced the essential oil and flavonoid contents of the plants. The results reveal that zinc application had marked effects on the physiological characteristics of Lavandula stoechas L. plants growing under salinity stress conditions.     

Protective role of proline against salt stress is partially related to the improvement of water status and peroxidase enzyme activity in cucumber

Abstract

A salt-sensitive cucumber cultivar “Jinchun No. 2” (Cucumis sativus L.) was used to investigate the role of proline in alleviating salt stress in cucumber. Proline was applied twice (day 0 and day 4 after salt treatment) as a foliar spray, with a volume of 25?mL per plant at each time. Plant dry weight, leaf relative water content, proline, malondialdehyde (MDA), Na⁺, K⁺ and Cl^? contents, as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities in the plants were determined at day 8 after salt treatment. The results showed that 100?mmol?L^–1 NaCl stress significantly decreased plant dry weight, leaf relative water and K⁺ contents, and increased leaf MDA, Na⁺ and Cl^? contents and SOD, POD, CAT and APX activities. However, leaf proline accumulation was not affected by salinity. The exogenous application of proline significantly alleviated the growth inhibition of plants induced by NaCl, and was accompanied by higher leaf relative water content and POD activity, higher proline and Cl^? contents, and lower MDA content and SOD activity. However, there was no significant difference in Na⁺ and K⁺ contents or in CAT and APX activities between proline-treated and untreated plants under salt stress. Taken together, these results suggested that the foliar application of proline was an effective way to improve the salt tolerance of cucumber. The enhanced salt tolerance could be partially attributed to the improved water status and peroxidase enzyme activity in the leaf.     

Effects of Foliar Application of FeSO4 and NaCl Salinity on Vegetative Growth,Antioxidant Enzymes Activity,and Malondialdehyde Content of Tanacetum balsamita L.

Salinity is one of the major environmental stressors which has deleterious effects on the growth, development, and yield of crops. Because of the gradual increase in soil and water salinity in the East Azarbaijan, Iran, Tanacetum balsamita L. cultivation in this region has always been associated with many problems. To study the effect of foliar spray of iron sulfate (FeSO₄) (0, 750, and 1500 mg L^?1) under sodium chloride (NaCl) salinity (0, 50, and 100 mM) on some physiological characteristics of Tanacetum balsamita L. plants, an experiment was conducted as a factorial based on complete randomized block design with three replications. Total soluble solids (TSS) and essential oil contents were significantly affected by the interaction effects of FeSO₄ foliar application and salinity levels. The highest TSS and essential oil content were found in the plants under NaCl₀ × FeSO₄ 1500 mg L^?1 treatment combination. Leaf length, leaf fresh and dry weights were influenced by both Fe foliar application and salinity levels. Foliar application of iron (Fe) positively affected leaf length, leaves fresh and dry weights, root fresh and dry weights and peroxidase (POD) content, especially at ₁₅₀₀ mg L^?1. Other traits such as leaf length, leaf fresh and dry weights, malondialdehyde (MDA), POD and catalase (CAT) contents were influenced by salinity levels. For POD, MDA, and CAT contents, the highest values were recorded with NaCl 50 and 100. The highest values of leaf length, leaf fresh and dry weights were found in the control plants.     

Comparative growth and physiological responses of two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars differing in salt tolerance to salinity and cyclic drought stress

Two cultivars of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with differential salinity tolerance were compared by evaluating the growth attributes, pigment composition and accumulation of Na⁺, K⁺, Zn²⁺, Fe ²⁺, Mn ²⁺ and proline. Wheat cultivars Al-Moiaya (AM) (salt tolerant) and Habbe-Druma (HD) (salt sensitive) were subjected to four levels of salinity (1.21 dS m^?1, 4.4 dS m^?1, 8.8 dS m^?1 and 13.2 dS m^?1) in factorial combinations with three drought stress (FC 30%, FC 60% and FC 90%) treatments in a randomized complete block design. Plant dry weight, leaf area ratio (LAR), soluble protein and total chlorophyll (Chl) content were higher in AM than HD. Salt-tolerant AM maintains a higher K⁺/ Na⁺ ratio and thereby is able to grow better than the salt-sensitive HD under both the stresses. The lower foliar Na⁺ in AM resulted in retention of higher Chl content, reflected in the strong positive correlations between plant ion status and Chl contents (Na⁺-Chl r² = 0.83; Chl- Fe²⁺ r² = 0.76; Zn²⁺ r² = 0.93 and Mn²⁺ r² = 0.88). In conclusion, our results suggested that the K⁺/Na⁺ ratio, exclusion of Na⁺ and ion homeostasis play much more important roles in the tolerance to salinity and drought stress than the compatible osmolyte, proline.     

Enhancing of symbiotic efficiency and salinity tolerance of chickpea by phosphorus supply

This study aims to highlight the beneficial effect of the phosphorus on enhancing of growth plant, the efficiency of use rhizobial symbiosis and ionic partition in chickpea grown under salt stress. Exposure of plants to salt stress (0, 150 mM of NaCl) caused ionic imbalance, which resulted in increased Na⁺ and P and reduced K⁺ contents in the leaves and root. Indeed, stressed plants showed decrease of plant growth and phosphorus use efficiency. The efficiency use of rhizobial symbiosis was also affected by salinity. However, addition of two different level of phosphorus (37 and 55 mM) to saline soil increased significantly availability of P in plant organs. Specially, the (150 mM NaCl?×?37 mM P) mixture increased (33%) phosphorus use efficiency, induced better nodulation and increased plant biomass which results in the high efficiency in use of the rhizobial symbiosis. Our findings suggest that the combination of low level of P to saline soil presumably improved the tolerance of chickpea plant to salinity.

Abbreviations: phosphorus (P); phosphorus use efficiency (PUE); biological nitrogen fixation (BNF); plant dry weight (PDW); yeast extract mannitol (YEM); efficiency in use of the rhizobial symbiosis (EURS); shoot dry weight (SDW); symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF).     

Alleviation of salt stress by increasing potassium sulphate doses in four medicinal and aromatic plants

In this study, the effects of potassium doses (control, 150, 300 and 450?mg K₂SO₄ kg^?1) and salt stress (control, 100?mM NaCl) on the yield and some element content of four medicinal and aromatic (Coriandrum sativum, Anethum graveolens, Ocimum basilicum and Foeniculum vulgare) plants were investigated in climate chamber. Both salinity and K fertiliser levels affected the fresh and dry weight of all evaluated plants. Anethum graveolens, Ocimum basilicum species are more sensitive to salinity, particularly at the vegetative productive stages. The highest fresh and dry weights of leaves, stems, roots and herb in Coriandrum sativum and Foeniculum vulgare species was observed in 300?mg?kg^?1 fertiliser applications. In general, there was a relatively consistent and positive correlation between root element content and aerial parts element content. The result of the present study showed that NaCl treatment caused an increase in Na⁺ concentration, and a decrease in K⁺ and Ca⁺² concentration in Coriandrum sativum, Anethum graveolens, Ocimum basilicum and Foeniculum vulgare. There was an interaction between K₂SO₄ application and salinity effects on Na⁺ concentration in the all evaluated plants. Given the experimental results, especially Foeniculum vulgare and Coriandrum sativum species were the most resistant to salt stress.     

Effect of potassium on uptake and translocation of sodium and potassium in Chinese cabbage under NaCl stress

To investigate the influence of potassium (K⁺) on the salinity tolerance of Chinese cabbage (Brassica pekinensis Rupr.) seedlings, the plants were cultured at three K⁺ levels (0, 5, or 10?mM), under normal (0?mM NaCl) and high-salt (100?mM NaCl) conditions. The results indicated that the dry weight of Chinese cabbage increased with the application of K⁺ under salt stress. Addition of K⁺ increased K⁺ concentrations and suppressed sodium (Na⁺) concentration, which eventually increased the K⁺/Na⁺ ratios in roots or shoots. Application of K⁺ enhanced the uptake of K⁺ and suppressed the uptake of Na⁺. Moreover, the ratios of shoot-K⁺/root-K⁺ increased considerably, but the ratios of shoot-Na⁺/root-Na⁺ decreased in response to K⁺ application. It was concluded that the application of K⁺ could enhance the salt stress tolerance in Chinese cabbage because more K⁺ than Na⁺ was absorbed and translocated from roots to shoots.     

Inducing salt tolerance in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch) plants by acetate application

Abstract

Acetate, can be considered as an appropriate interface for increasing tolerance to salinity stress in strawberries. Strawberry plants were exposed to different treatments including control (Hoagland solution), salinity (40?mM NaCl), acetic acid (AA) (1?mM), acetic acid (1?mM) + salinity (AAS), ammonium acetate (AA) (1?mM), ammonium acetate (AM) (1?mM) + salinity (AMS), ammonium carbonate (AC) (0.5?mM), and ammonium carbonate (0.5?mM) + salinity (ACS) and put them in hydroponic system. The results indicated that salinity reduced shoot dry weight about 80.12% when compared with untreated control plants. That in comparison to acetate treatments, this reduction was 47.13 and 48.77% in AAS and AMS, respectively. Leaf area was decrease 59% in salinity treatment but this reduction was 14% in AAS. The AAS and AMS were most effective in increasing fruit yields (35.93 and 52.16?g per plant, respectively) in comparison to salinity treatment alone (27.23?g per plant) condition. In saline conditions, the highest amount of soluble carbohydrate was observed in AMS treatment (9.67?mg g^?1 DW) that there was no significant difference with AAS treatment. Increase in Na⁺ and Cl^? accumulation in shoots and decreased in K⁺ in saline condition were observed. The highest amount of potassium was observed in acetate treatments. The present results have demonstrated that acetate could improve tolerance to the salinity, yield and plants growth in strawberry. But, in comparison to AA and AM treatments, better results were observed in AA treatment in both salinity and non-salinity conditions.     

Growth,Mineral Composition,and Biochemical Changes of Broad Bean as Affected by Sodium Chloride and Zinc Levels and Sources

Plants grown in salt‐affected soils may suffer from limited available water, ion toxicity, and essential plant nutrient deficiency, leading to reduced growth. The present experiment was initiated to evaluate how salinity and soil zinc (Zn) fertilization would affects growth and chemical and biochemical composition of broad bean grown in a calcareous soil low in available Zn. The broad bean was subjected to five sodium chloride (NaCl) levels (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 m mol kg^?1 soil) and three Zn rates [0, 5, and 10 mg kg^?1 as Zn sulfate (ZnSO₄) or Zn ethylenediaminetetraaceticacid (EDTA)] under greenhouse conditions. The experiment was arranged in a factorial manner in a completely randomized design with three replications. Sodium chloride significantly decreased shoot dry weight, leaf area, and chlorophyll concentration, whereas Zn treatment strongly increased these plant growth parameters. The suppressing effect of soil salinity on the shoot dry weight and leaf area were alleviated by soil Zn fertilization, but the stimulating effect became less pronounced at higher NaCl levels. Moreover, rice seedlings treated with ZnSO₄ produced more shoot dry weight and had greater leaf area and chlorophyll concentration than those treated with Zn EDTA. In the present study, plant chloride and sodium accumulations were significantly increased and those of potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) strongly decreased as NaCl concentrations in the soil were increased. Moreover, changes in rice shoot Cl^?, Na⁺, and K⁺ concentrations were primarily affected by the changes in NaCl rate and to a lesser degree were related to Zn levels. The concentrations of Cl^? and Na⁺ associated with 50% shoot growth suppression were greater with Zn‐treated plants than untreated ones, suggesting that Zn fertilization might increase the plant tolerance to high Cl^? and Na⁺ accumulations in rice shoot. Zinc application markedly increased Zn concentration of broad bean shoots, whereas plants grown on NaCl‐treated soil contained significantly less Zn than those grown on NaCl‐untreated soil. Our study showed a consistent increase in praline content and a significant decrease in reducing sugar concentration with increasing salinity and Zn rates. However, Zn‐treated broad bean contained less proline and reducing sugars than Zn‐untreated plants, and the depressing impact of applied Zn as Zn EDTA on reducing sugar concentration was greater than that of ZnSO₄. In conclusion, it appears that when broad bean is to be grown in salt‐affected soils, it is highly advisable to supply plants with adequate available Zn.     

Use of IR thermography in screening wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars for salt tolerance

Thermography is proposed to be an alternative non-destructive and rapid technique for the study and diagnosing of salt tolerance in plants. In a pot experiment, 30 cultivars of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were evaluated in terms of their leaf temperature and shoot growth and their ion distribution responses to NaCl salinity at two concentration levels: the control with electrical conductivity (EC) of 1 dS m^?1 and salinity treatment with EC of 16 dS m^?1 (150 mM). A completely randomized block design with factorial treatments was employed with three replications. The results indicated that thermography may accurately reflect the physiological status of salt-stressed wheat plants. The salt stress-based increase in leaf temperature of wheat cultivars grown at 150 mM NaCl reached 1.34°C compared to the control. According to the results obtained, it appears that thermography has the capability of discerning differences of salinity tolerance between the cultivars. Three salt-tolerant wheat cultivars, namely Roshan, Kharchia and Sholeh, had higher mean shoot dry matter (0.039 g plant^?1) and higher mean ratio of leaf K⁺/Na⁺ (14.06) and showed lower increase in the mean leaf temperature (0.37°C) by thermography compared to the control. This was while nine salt-sensitive cultivars, namely Kavir, Ghods, Atrak, Parsi, Bahar, Pishtaz, Falat, Gaspard and Tajan, had lower mean plant dry matter production (0.027 g plant^?1), lower mean ratio of K⁺/Na⁺ (9.49) and higher mean increases in leaf temperature (1.24°C).     

Effects of foliar selenium application on some physiological and phytochemical parameters of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Sultana under salt stress

Abstract

In this research the effect of foliar application of selenium (Se) at four levels (Na₂OSe₄; 0, 5, 10 and 20?mg L^?1) was evaluated on some phytochemical characteristics of Sultana grapevine under different salinity levels (NaCl; 0 or 75?mM). The vines were fed twice a week with Hoagland nutrient solution and Se was foliar applied twice with 24 intervals. During growing period, plant height, leaf number and leaf area were recorded. Moreover, at the end of experiment, mature leaves from middle nods of canes were used for measurement of some phytochemical indices. According to results, Se application had a positive effect on plant height, leaf numbers, leaf area and photosynthetic pigments content especially at 5?mg L^?1 and to some extent 10?mg L^?1 Se levels. Under salinity stress, foliar application of Se at 5?mg L^?1 considerably decreased vines leaves electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation values compared to non se-treated plants under salinity stress condition. Selenium had an additive effect on salinity stress (75?mM NaCl) induced accumulation of total phenol, total flavonoid, soluble sugars and proline content in leave of vines. Moreover, the interaction of salinity and Se at 5 and 10?mg L^?1 improved leaves antioxidant enzymes activities in Sultana grapevine. Likewise, foliar application of Se improved leaf mineral content in 75?mM NaCl -treated vines. Totally, foliar application of selenium (Se at 5 or 10?mg L^?1) increased salt tolerance through improvement in nutritional balance and by enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity in grapevine leaves.     

Growth,Root Characteristics,and Leaf Nutrients Accumulation of Four Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Cultivars Differing in Their Broomrape Tolerance and the Soil Properties in Relation to Salinity

The effects of salinity on four faba bean (Vicia faba L) cultivars [Giza 429, Giza 843, Misr 1 (Orobanche-tolerant), and Giza 3 (Orobanche-susceptible)] and soil properties were investigated in a pot experiment with addition of 0, 50, and 100 mM sodium chloride (NaCl) for 9 weeks. Salinity significantly decreased calcium (Ca²⁺), magnesium (Mg²⁺), potassium (K⁺), bicarbonate (HCO₃ ^?), and sulfate (SO₄ ^2?) while significantly increasing sodium (Na⁺), chloride (Cl^?), pH, and electrical conductivity (EC; dS m^?1). Root length density (cm cm^?3), root mass density (mg cm^?3), total dry weight, and salt-tolerance indexes were significantly reduced as a result of application of salinity. The results presented support evidence on the positive relationship between Orobance tolerance and salt tolerance in the three cultivars (Giza 429, Giza 843, and Misr 1). This adaptation was mainly due to a high degree of accumulation of inorganic nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), K⁺, Ca²⁺, and Mg²⁺ and lesser quantities of Na⁺ and Cl^?, as well as greater K⁺/Na⁺ and Ca²⁺/Na⁺ ratios.     

EFFECT OF MIXED-SALT SALINITY ON GROWTH AND ION RELATIONS OF A QUINOA AND A WHEAT VARIETY

ABSTRACT

Salinity is among the most widespread and prevalent problems in irrigated agriculture. Many members of the family Chenopodiaceae are classified as salt tolerant. One member of this family, which is of increasing interest, is quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) which is able to grow on poorer soils. Salinity sensitivity studies of quinoa were conducted in the greenhouse on the cultivar, “Andean Hybrid” to determine if quinoa had useful mechanisms for salt tolerant studies. For salt treatment we used a salinity composition that would occur in a typical soil in the San Joaquin Valley of California using drainage waters for irrigation. Salinity treatments (EC_i ) ranging from 3, 7, 11, to 19?dS?m^?1 were achieved by adding MgSO₄, Na₂SO₄, NaCl, and CaCl₂ to the base nutrient solution. These salts were added incrementally over a four-day period to avoid osmotic shock to the seedlings. The base nutrient solution without added salt served as the non-saline control solution (3?dS?m^?1). Solution pH was uncontrolled and ranged from 7.7 to 8.0. For comparative purposes, we also examined Yecora Rojo, a semi-dwarf wheat, Triticum aestivum L. With respect to salinity effects on growth in quinoa, we found no significant reduction in plant height or fresh weight until the electrical conductivity exceeded 11?dS?m^?1. The growth was characteristic of a halophyte with a significant increase in leaf area at 11?dS?m^?1 as compared with 3?dS?m^?1 controls. As to wheat, plant fresh and dry weight, canopy height, and leaf area did not differ between controls (3?dS?m^?1) and plants grown at 7?dS?m^?1. Beyond this threshold, however, plant growth declined. While both quinoa and wheat exhibited increasing Na⁺ accumulation with increasing salinity levels, the percentage increase was greater in wheat. Examination of ion ratios indicated that K⁺:Na⁺ ratio decreased with increasing salinity in both species. The decrease was more dramatic in wheat. A similar observation was also made with respect to the Ca²⁺:Na⁺ ratios. However, a difference between the two species was found with respect to changes in the level of K⁺ in the plant. In quinoa, leaf K⁺ levels measured at 19?dS?m^?1 had decreased by only 7% compared with controls. Stem K⁺ levels were not significantly affected. In wheat, shoot K⁺ levels had decreased by almost 40% at 19?dS?m^?1. Correlated with these findings, we measured no change in the K⁺:Na⁺ selectivity with increasing salinity in quinoa leaves and only a small increase in stems. In wheat however, K⁺:Na⁺ selectivity at 3?dS?m^?1 was much higher than in quinoa and decreased significantly across the four salinity levels tested. A similar situation was also noted with Ca²⁺:Na⁺ selectivity. We concluded that the greater salt tolerance found in quinoa relative to wheat may be due to a variety of mechanisms.     

Seawater‐irrigation effects on growth,ion concentration,and photosynthesis of transgenic poplar overexpressing the Na+/H+ antiporter AtNHX1

Tonoplast Na⁺/H⁺ antiporters increase the salt resistance of various plant species, but very little is known about the role of these antiporters in the salt resistance of trees. Understanding the physiological responses of plants to salinity stress is of paramount importance in examining the salt resistance of transgenic plants. In this study, the wild‐type poplar (WT; Populus × euramericana var. Neva) and its transgenic varieties (TR) that overexpress the AtNHX1 gene were exposed to various seawater concentrations (0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%) for 30 d to determine the effects of seawater on seedling growth, ion content, and photosynthetic productivity. Results show that TR plants grew much better than WT under saline conditions. Differences between WT and TR in most parameters were significant after 30 d exposure to 20% and 30% seawater concentrations. The dry weight of TR was higher than that of WT for each seawater treatment. Transgenic variety was able to maintain higher photosynthetic ability than WT upon exposure to salinity and maintained higher K⁺ concentrations and K⁺ : Na⁺ ratio but had less Cl^– compared with WT. This suggests that AtNHX1 has a critical role in the regulation of K⁺ homeostasis, which in turn affects plant K⁺ nutrition and salt resistance.     

Interactive Effect of Soil Salinity and Water Stress on Growth and Chemical Compositions of Pistachio Nut Tree

ABSTRACT

The effects of three sodium chloride (NaCl) levels (0, 1200, and 2400 mg kg^{? 1} soil) and three irrigation intervals (3, 7, and 14 d) on the growth and chemical composition of two Pistacia vera rootstocks (‘Sarakhs’ and ‘Qazvini’) were investigated under greenhouse conditions. Eight-week-old pistachio seedlings were gradually exposed to salt stress which afterward, water stress was initiated. At any irrigation interval, plant height and shoot and root dry weights of both rootstocks were reduced with increasing salinity. However, increasing irrigation intervals alleviated the adverse effects of soil salinity. A negative relationship observed between relative shoot growth and electrical conductivity of soil saturation extract (EC_e) confirmed the above findings. Under 3-d irrigation interval, the EC_e required to cause a 50% growth reduction was lower than those under 7- and/or 14-d irrigation intervals. Shoot and root chemical analyses indicated that the salinity as well as irrigation regime affected the concentration and distribution of sodium (Na⁺), potassium (K⁺), and chloride (Cl^?) in pistachio. The concentration of Na⁺, K⁺ and C1^? ions increased with a rise in NaCl level, and was generally declined with increasing irrigation interval. Based on plant height, shoot and root dry weights and the concentrations of Na⁺, K⁺, and C1^? in the plant tissues, at lowest irrigation intervals ‘Sarakhs’ shows a higher sensitivity to soil salinity than ‘Qazvini’, but with increasing irrigation interval, ‘Sarakhs’ and ‘Qazvini’ can be classified as resistant and sensitive to salinity, respectively.     

Barley growth,yield, antioxidant enzymes,and ion accumulation affected by PGRs under salinity stress conditions

Application of plant growth regulator (PGR) may alleviate some negative effects of environmental stresses such as salinity. A controlled environment experiment was conducted to study barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Reyhane) growth, yield, antioxidant enzymes and ions accumulation affected by PGRs under salinity stress conditions at Shiraz University during 2012. The treatments were PGRs at four levels—water (as control), cycocel (CCC, 19 mM), salicylic acid (SA, 1 mM), and jasmonic acid (JA, 0.5 mM)—and four salinity levels—no stress (0.67 dS m^?1, as control), 5, 10, and 15 dS m^?1, which were arranged in a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design with four replicates. The results showed that salinity stress significantly decreased plant height, peduncle length, leaf area, ear length, grain number, dry weight, grain yield, harvest index, potassium (K⁺) accumulation, and potassium/sodium (K⁺/Na⁺) concentration ratio, which were closely associated with stress severity. However, PGRs compensated some of these negative effects, so that SA foliar application had the most ameliorative effect. Salt stress also increased Na⁺ accumulation as well as the activity of peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Since ion discrimination and enhanced antioxidant enzymes are associated with salt tolerance, in this experiment PGRs application might have enhanced K⁺ accumulation and antioxidant enzyme activity. The activity of SOD and K⁺/Na⁺ ratio were found to be useful in salt tolerance manipulation in barley plants.     

EFFECTS OF WATER SALINITY ON GROWTH INDICES AND PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN SOME PISTACHIO ROOTSTOCKS

Pistachio is one of the most important horticultural crops in Iran. The majority of the pistachio producing regions is located in arid and semi-arid areas with saline conditions. Therefore, selection of suitable rootstocks is important for increasing yield efficiency of this important nut crop. In this study, the effect of four water salinity levels (0.75, 5, 10 and 15 ds m^?1) on growth indices and physiological parameters of four Pistacia vera L. rootstocks (Badami-e-Zarand A, Badami-e-Zarand B, Qazvini, and Sarakhs) were investigated under greenhouse conditions. After treatment for three months, leaf dry weight was reduced by about 30-50% at an irrigation water electrical conductivity (EC_w) of 10 ds m^?1. Badami-e-Zarand B was the most vigorous rootstock at the highest EC. Decreases in root and stem dry weight (average of all rootstocks combined) occurred at water salinity of 10 ds m^?1. Chemical analysis of shoot and root indicated that the salinity affected the concentration and distribution of sodium (Na⁺), potassium (K⁺), and calcium (Ca²⁺) in pistachio rootstocks. The concentrations of Na⁺ and K⁺ increased with a rise in water salinity levels. Comparison between Na⁺ concentration of shoot and root showed that all examined rootstocks limited the Na⁺ transportation to shoot tissue up-to 15 ds m^-1, and retained it in the roots. However, this ability was less in the Sarakhs rootstock. Based on measured parameters, Badami-e-Zarand B and Sarakhs could be considered as tolerant and sensitive pistachio rootstocks to water salinity, respectively.     

Effects of vermicompost and salinity stress on growth and physiological traits of Medicago rigidula L.

The use of vermicompost as a biological fertilizer under salinity stress conditions was tested in this research. Accordingly, the seeds of Medicago rigidula were grown in the greenhouse. The experiment was performed based on factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design using 5 replications. Application rates of vermicompost were 0, 10, 20 and 30%. Salinity stress was conducted in three levels (0, 50 and 100 mM sodium chloride (NaCl)). The highest and the lowest values of the plant survival capacity (%), shoot dry weight (g), leaf relative water content (LRWC) (%), total chlorophyll content (%), leaf area (cm²), total nitrogen content (TNC) (%) and potassium (K) content (%) of the plant tissues were found in VC4 × SL1 and VC1 × SL3 treatments, respectively. Whereas, the maximum and minimum values of root dry weight and root:shoot ratio were seen in VC1 × SL3 and VC4 × SL1 treatments, respectively.     

Physiological Response to Sodium Chloride of Wild Swiss Chard

ABSTRACT

The present work was aimed at determining the limits of tolerance to sodium chloride (NaCl) of a halophyte, Beta macrocarpa Guss (wild Swiss chard). Five week-old plants were cultivated with a nutritive solution to which was added 0, 100, 200, and 300 mM NaCl. Plants were harvested after four weeks of treatment. The growth (fresh and dry weight, leaf surface area, and leaf number), water contents, and the mineral composition (meq · g^?1 DW) of roots and leaves (reduced nitrogen (N), K⁺, Ca^{2 +}, Na⁺, Cl^?) were determined on individual plants. Results show that Beta macrocarpa can tolerate up to 200 mM NaCl. A significant decrease in biomass production (to 50% of control) was observed only for 300 mM NaCl. In the latter treatment, leaf mean surface area was 25% of control. The shoot-to-root ratio was not changed. Leaf hydration was not modified by salt treatment. This ability of the plant to maintain the hydric equilibrium of its leaves seemed associated with an efficient intracellular compartmentalization of Na⁺ and Cl^? ions. Salt treatment had little effect on N content (80% of control), but decreased significantly K⁺ and Ca^{2 +} contents. These three essential elements could be limiting for growth of leaves and roots of plants challenged by NaCl.     

Soil Plus Foliar Nitrogen Application increases Cotton Growth and Salinity Tolerance

Soil or foliar application of nitrogen (N) can increase plant growth and salinity tolerance in cotton, but a combination of both methods is seldom studied under salinity stress. A pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of soil application (S), foliar application (F), and a combination of both (S+F) with labeled nitrogen (¹⁵N) on cotton growth, N uptake and translocation under salinity stress (ECe = 12.5 dS m^?1). Plant biomass, leaf area, leaf chlorophyll (Chl) content, leaf net photosynthetic (Pn) rate, levels of ¹⁵N and [Na⁺] and K⁺/ Na⁺ ratio in plant tissues were determined at 3, 7, 14 and 28 days after N application (DAN). Results showed that soil or foliar nitrogen fertilization improved plant biomass, leaf area per plant and leaf photosynthesis, and a combination of soil- plus foliar-applied N was superior to either S or F alone under salinity stress. Although foliar application favored a rapid accumulation of leaf N and soil application a rapid accumulation of root N, S+F enhanced N accumulation in both leaf and root under salinity stress. The combined N application also maintained significantly greater [K⁺] and K⁺/Na⁺ than either soil or foliar application alone. Therefore, the improved plant growth and salinity tolerance under S+F relative to soil or foliar N application alone was attributed to the increased total uptake of N, balanced N concentrations in different tissues through enhanced uptake and accumulation in both leaves and roots, and higher ratio of K⁺/Na⁺.