Growth and ion accumulation responses of four grass species to salinity |
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Authors: | Walter E. Riedell |
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Affiliation: | 1. USDA-Agricultural Research Service, North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, Brookings, SD, USAwalter.riedell@ars.usda.gov |
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Abstract: | Ion inclusion or ion exclusion are the two main strategies developed by plants to tolerate saline environments. Shoot sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), and calcium (Ca2+) in four perennial grass species (tall wheatgrass, Nuttall's alkaligrass, creeping foxtail, and switchgrass) treated with nutrient solution salinity levels ranging from 2 to 32 dS m?1 were measured. As the nutrient solution salinity was increased from 2 to 10 dS m?1, tall wheatgrass, creeping foxtail and Nuttall's alkali grass had increased shoot Na+ and decreased Ca2+ concentration while maintaining growth suggesting that these species tolerated these changes in shoot ion concentration. In contrast, switchgrass excluded Na+ from the shoot and maintained K+ and Ca2+ concentrations but suffered dramatic shoot dry weight reduction. Thus, the Na+ exclusion mechanisms present in switchgrass were less efficient in maintaining growth under the 10 dS m?1 nutrient solution treatment than the Na+ inclusion mechanisms used by the other three species. |
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Keywords: | Tall wheatgrass creeping foxtail switchgrass Nuttall's alkali grass |
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