Effects of sodium and potassium chlorides on the growth and accumulation of mineral ions by Cyperus involucratus Rottb.

The response of the large emergent aquatic plant Cyperus involucratus Rottb. to NaCl and KCl salinities was studied under glasshouse conditions. Growth was not affected greatly by 50 mM NaCl or 100 mM KCl, but plants treated with 100 mM NaCl or 200 mM KCl were stunted and showed symptoms of salt toxicity. NaCl salinity was more detrimental than KCl, and Cl was more damaging to plant growth than K, but less damaging than Na. Salinity had no effect on plant succulence. NaCl and KCl treatments caused a decrease in concentrations of Ca and Mg in plant tissue, and NaCl-stressed plants accumulated nitrate-N. Na was largely excluded from leaves, whereas K was not. Concentrations up to 4% Cl, 8% K and 2.3% Na (dry wt. basis) were recorded in above-ground plant organs. C. involucratus is potentially a useful plant for inclusion in aquatic plant filters to treat wastewaters, and harvestable parts of the plant (culms and leaves) had over 60% of the total plant K, Na and Cl. The results are discussed with respect to the use of C. involucratus in systems for wastewater reclamation.     

Salt tolerance, salt accumulation, and ionic homeostasis in an epidermal bladder-cell-less mutant of the common ice plant Mesembryanthemum crystallinum

The aerial surfaces of the common or crystalline ice plant Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L., a halophytic, facultative crassulacean acid metabolism species, are covered with specialized trichome cells called epidermal bladder cells (EBCs). EBCs are thought to serve as a peripheral salinity and/or water storage organ to improve survival under high salinity or water deficit stress conditions. However, the exact contribution of EBCs to salt tolerance in the ice plant remains poorly understood. An M. crystallinum mutant lacking EBCs was isolated from plant collections mutagenized by fast neutron irradiation. Light and electron microscopy revealed that mutant plants lacked EBCs on all surfaces of leaves and stems. Dry weight gain of aerial parts of the mutant was almost half that of wild-type plants after 3 weeks of growth at 400 mM NaCl. The EBC mutant also showed reduced leaf succulence and leaf and stem water contents compared with wild-type plants. Aerial tissues of wild-type plants had approximately 1.5-fold higher Na(+) and Cl(-) content than the mutant grown under 400 mM NaCl for 2 weeks. Na(+) and Cl(-) partitioning into EBCs of wild-type plants resulted in lower concentrations of these ions in photosynthetically active leaf tissues than in leaves of the EBC-less mutant, particularly under conditions of high salt stress. Potassium, nitrate, and phosphate ion content decreased with incorporation of NaCl into tissues in both the wild type and the mutant, but the ratios of Na(+)/K(+) and Cl(-)/NO(3)(-)content were maintained only in the leaf and stem tissues of wild-type plants. The EBC mutant showed significant impairment in plant productivity under salt stress as evaluated by seed pod and seed number and average seed weight. These results clearly show that EBCs contribute to succulence by serving as a water storage reservoir and to salt tolerance by maintaining ion sequestration and homeostasis within photosynthetically active tissues of M. crystallinum.     

Salinity-induced changes in essential oil,pigments and salts accumulation in sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) in relation to alterations of morphological development

The objective of the project was to study salinity-induced effects on essential oil, pigments and salts accumulation in sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum, the cultivar Perrie) in relation to the alteration of plant morphological development and yield production. Hydroponically grown plants were exposed to one of six NaCl concentrations (1, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 130 mM NaCl). Inhibitory effects of salinity on biomass production of the shoot and the root, and area of individual leaves were apparent already under cultivation with 25 mM NaCl. Elevation of salinity from 1 to 100 mM NaCl induced 63% and 61% reductions in fresh and dry herb biomass production, respectively. The stress-induced reduction of foliage biomass sourced mainly from inhibition of leaf area development rather than reduction of internode and leaf number. Cl and Na concentrations in the leaves, stems and roots increased with elevation of NaCl concentration in the cultivation solution. While the extent of Cl accumulation was leaves>stems>roots, Na was largely excluded from the leaves and was preferentially accumulated in roots and the stems, potentially accounting for the moderate sensitivity of the leaf tissue to salinity. Salt stress increased the contents of essential oil and carotenoids in the leaves that may further account for the moderate sensitivity of sweet basil to salinity and suggest a potential for agro-industrial production. A twofold increase in both carotenoid concentration and the percent of essential oil in the fresh tissue was observed by elevation of the salinity from 1 to 130 mM NaCl. Overall, the stress induced increase of the percent of essential oil in the tissue in the salinity range 1–75 mM NaCl was about 50%, and thereby compensated for the similar reduction of biomass production in this salinity range, so that oil production on per plant basis was not reduced by salinity.     

Mechanisms of salt stress tolerance development in barley plants under the influence of 5-aminolevulinic acid

Growing barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) plants for 7 days on NaCl solutions (20–200 mM) decreased chlorophyll (Chl) a and b content with respect to that in untreated control plants. The content of free proline and the plant ability to synthesize 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) started to increase in parallel at salt concentrations of 20–50 mM. The maximum amount of ALA accumulated in plants grown at 100 mM NaCl was twofold higher than in control plants grown on fresh water. In this case the proline content increased 2.8-fold. On further increase in salt concentration, the rate of ALA accumulation decreased, approaching control values at 150 mM NaCl; even lower rates were observed at 200 mM NaCl. The reduced ability to synthesize ALA was accompanied by an increase in proline content. The albino tissue of plants treated at the seed stage with the antibiotic streptomycin lost its ability to synthesize ALA needed for Chl formation. The proline content in the albino tissue was tenfold higher than in control green plants and was 30-fold higher when the plants were grown on solutions with 100 mM NaCl. No effect of NaCl on ALA-dehydratase activity was noted. As NaCl concentration was raised, there occurred the decrease in magnesium chelatase activity, accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the increase in ascorbate peroxidase activity, and a slight decrease in lipid peroxidation level. Growing plants in the presence of 150 mM NaCl and 10 or 60 mg/l exogenous ALA led to the increase in proline content (by a factor of 1.8 and 4.2, respectively) and to the decrease in ROS content, in comparison with plants grown on salt solutions without ALA. Furthermore, in the presence of exogenous ALA, the parameters of seedling growth became similar to those of NaCl-untreated plants. The role of ALA in plants as an antistress agent is considered. ALA is supposed to confer tolerance to salt stress by taking part in Chl and heme biosynthesis and also through functioning as a plant growth regulator. A hypothesis is put forward that the impairment of ALA-synthesizing ability may redirect metabolic conversions of glutamic acid from Chl and heme synthesis to the proline synthesis pathway, which would stimulate proline biosynthesis and improve salt tolerance.     

Salinity and hormone interactions in affecting growth,transpiration and ionic relations ofPhaseolus vulgaris

Addition of either abscisic acid (ABA) or kinetin at 10⁻⁶ M to salinized media (20–120mM NaCl) induced remarkable effects on growth ofPhaseolus vulgaris plants. Whereas ABA inhibited the plant growth and the rate of transpiration, kinetin induced stimulation of both parameters. Moreover, ABA increased proline and phosphorus concentrations in the salinized plants whilst kinetin decreased them. ABA induced stimulation of the transport of K, Ca and Cl from root to shoot, accumulation of K, Na and Cl in root cells and inhibits the transport of Na and accumulation of Ca. Kinetin appeared to inhibit the transport and accumulation of Na and Cl, transport of K, and stimulates the accumulation of K and Ca as well as the transport of Ca. The highest influence of both ABA and kinetin was mostly observed when these hormones were used in combination with the highest concentration of NaCl (120 mM) in the medium.     

Relationship between xylem ion concentration and bean growth responses to short-term salinisation in spring and summer

Bean plants, Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Contender, were grown in the spring and summer seasons to study the relationship between xylem Na+/Cl-, transpiration rate, and salt tolerance. Eight-day-old seedlings were transplanted to 50% modified Hoagland solution with 1 mM NaCl. Four days after transfer, one of two treatments was applied: a control of 1 mM NaCl or a treatment of 25 mM NaCl every two days to reach a final treatment concentration of 75 mM NaCl. Plants were sampled on the fourth day after the final salt concentration was reached, eight days after the salinisation treatment began. Relative growth rate was 2.6-fold greater in summer than in spring. However, while no differences were found between treatments in spring, summer salt-treated plants had growth rates that were 31% lower than those of controls. In summer, CO2 assimilation, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate of salinised plants declined with respect to controls. Leaf Na+ and trifoliolate leaf Cl- were higher in salt-treated plants in summer, although root Na+ was significantly higher in spring. Moreover, in summer salinity inhibited Ca2+ and K+ uptake and changed its distribution. Summer salt-treated plants had an average of 17-fold higher xylem Na+ during the daily cycle, while xylem Cl-, only in the afternoon, showed higher values (1.5-fold) compared to spring-grown plants. Our results suggest that the faster growth response to salt in summer-grown bean was at least partly due to an increase in xylem Na+ independent of the transpiration rate and possibly related to an increase in xylem Na+ influx or/and Na+ recirculation.     

Effects of salt-tolerant rootstock grafting on ultrastructure,photosynthetic capacity,and H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript>-scavenging system in chloroplasts of cucumber seedlings under NaCl stress

Plant growth, photosynthetic parameters, chloroplast ultrastructure, and the ascorbate-glutathione cycle system in chloroplasts of self-grafted and rootstock-grafted cucumber leaves were investigated. Grafted plants were grown hydroponically and were exposed to 0, 50, and 100 mM NaCl concentrations for 10 days. Under NaCl stress, the hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) content in cucumber chloroplasts increased, the chloroplast ultrastructure was damaged, and the gas stomatal conductance, intercellular CO₂ concentration, as well as shoot dry weight, plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, and leaf relative water content were inhibited, whereas these changes were less severe in rootstock-grafted plants. The activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX; EC 1.11.1.11), glutathione reductase (GR; EC 1.6.4.2), and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR EC 1.8.5.1) were higher in the chloroplasts of rootstock-grafted plants compared with those of self-grafted plants under 50 and 100 mM NaCl. Similar trends were shown in leaf net CO₂ assimilation rate and transpiration rate, as well as reduced glutathione content under 100 mM NaCl. Results suggest that rootstock grafting enhances the H₂O₂-scavenging capacity of the ascorbate–glutathione cycle in cucumber chloroplasts under NaCl stress, thereby protecting the chloroplast structure and improving the photosynthetic performance of cucumber leaves. As a result, cucumber growth is promoted.     

Effect of divalent cations on ion fluxes and leaf photochemistry in salinized barley leaves

Photosynthetic characteristics, leaf ionic content, and net fluxes of Na(+), K(+), and Cl(-) were studied in barley (Hordeum vulgare L) plants grown hydroponically at various Na/Ca ratios. Five weeks of moderate (50 mM) or high (100 mM) NaCl stress caused a significant decline in chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics, and stomatal conductance (g(s)) in plant leaves grown at low calcium level. Supplemental Ca(2+) enabled normal photochemical efficiency of PSII (F(v)/F(m) around 0.83), restored chlorophyll content to 80-90% of control, but had a much smaller (50% of control) effect on g(s). In experiments on excised leaves, not only Ca(2+), but also other divalent cations (in particular, Ba(2+) and Mg(2+)), significantly ameliorated the otherwise toxic effect of NaCl on leaf photochemistry, thus attributing potential targets for such amelioration to leaf tissues. To study the underlying ionic mechanisms of this process, the MIFE technique was used to measure the kinetics of net Na(+), K(+), and Cl(-) fluxes from salinized barley leaf mesophyll in response to physiological concentrations of Ca(2+), Ba(2+), Mg(2+), and Zn(2+). Addition of 20 mM Na(+) as NaCl or Na(2)SO(4) to the bath caused significant uptake of Na(+) and efflux of K(+). These effects were reversed by adding 1 mM divalent cations to the bath solution, with the relative efficiency Ba(2+)>Zn(2+)=Ca(2+)>Mg(2+). Effect of divalent cations on Na(+) efflux was transient, while their application caused a prolonged shift towards K(+) uptake. This suggests that, in addition to their known ability to block non-selective cation channels (NSCC) responsible for Na(+) entry, divalent cations also control the activity or gating properties of K(+) transporters at the mesophyll cell plasma membrane, thereby assisting in maintaining the high K/Na ratio required for optimal leaf photosynthesis.     

Influence des pretraitements par KCl et des rapports Ca/Na du milieu sur la croissance de vitroplants de tomate en milieu NaCl

The 18-day-old tomato vitroplants were obtained in axenic conditions by culture of expiants (including the terminal bud and the last internode of the stem) on agar-agar nutritive medium with 0 or 75 mM NaCl. The growth and the mineral content of the vitroplants were compared when the expiants were grown on media either with low or high K/Na and Ca/Na ratios, or with low K/Na and Ca/Na ratios after pretreatments of expiants by KC1, NaCl or CaCl₂ (from 0 to – 4.5 bar). The KCl pretreatment (-1.1 bar) during one day brings about an increase in vitroplant growth greater than that produced by a high Ca/Na ratio medium. The Cl accumulation was similar in expiants pretreated by KCl or NaCl. Ion content per gram of fresh matter was similar in 18-day-old vitroplants pretreated by KCl, NaCl or CaCl₂; the Na accumulation by KC1 pretreated vitroplants was not lower than that of 18-day-old vitroplants grown on a high Ca/Na ratio medium. These results show the relation between Na content of expiants and the growth of vitroplants in a NaCl medium.     

Growth and Fatty Acid Composition of Borage (Borago officinalis L.) Leaves and Seeds Cultivated in Saline Medium

The effects of salinity on growth and fatty acid composition of borage (Borago officinalis L.) leaves and seeds grown in hydroponic medium were investigated. Three different levels of NaCl (25, 50, and 75 mM) were applied. The first results showed that salinity significantly reduced plant growth by 56.5 % at 75 mM compared with the control, suppressed seed yield at 50 and 75 mM, and increased lipid peroxidation. Raising NaCl concentrations led to an important decrease in total fatty acid (TFA) content by 77 % at 75 mM NaCl. Moreover, the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content decreased, whereas the saturated fatty acids increased with respect to increasing salinity. The 25 mM NaCl level did not modify the fatty acid composition of seeds and their contents.     

A Bacterial Indole-3-acetyl-L-aspartic Acid Hydrolase Inhibits Mung Bean (Vigna radiata L.) Seed Germination Through Arginine-rich Intracellular Delivery

Indole-3-acetyl-L-aspartic acid (IAA-Asp) is a natural product in many plant species and plays many important roles in auxin metabolism and plant physiology. IAA-Asp hydrolysis activity is, therefore, believed to affect plant physiology through changes in IAA metabolism in plants. We applied a newly discovered technique, arginine-rich intracellular delivery (AID), to deliver a bacterial IAA-Asp hydrolase into cells of mung bean (Vigna radiata) seeds and measured its effects on mung bean seed germination. IAA-Asp hydrolase inhibited seed germination about 12 h after the enzyme was delivered into cells of mung bean seeds both covalently and noncovalently. Mung bean seed germination was delayed by 36 h when the enzyme protein was noncovalently attached to the AID peptide and longer than 60 h when the enzyme protein was covalently attached to the AID peptide. Root elongation of mung bean plants was inhibited as much as 90% or 80%, respectively, when the IAA-Asp hydrolase was delivered with the AID peptide by covalent or noncovalent association. Further thin-layer chromatography analysis of plant extracts indicated that the levels of IAA increased about 12 h after treatment and reached their peak at 24 h. This result suggests that IAA-Asp hydrolase may increase IAA levels and inhibit seed germination of mung bean plants and that the AID peptide is a new, rapid, and efficient experimental tool to study the in vivo activity of enzymes of interest in plant cells.     

Changes in nitrogen content and protein profiles following <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis> selection of NaCl resistant mung bean and tomato

Mung bean and tomato were in vitro selected on media containing 0, 25, 50, 100 and 150 mM NaCl. Two types of media (hormone supplemented media, CB and hormone free media, MS) were used for mung bean using cotyledon explants whereas two types of explants (cotyledons and shoot apices) were used for tomato on MS media. Total-N, protein content, nitrite reductase (NiR) activity and protein protein profiles were checked in selected plants and compared to original non selected ones. NaCl at low concentrations slightly increased total-N in shoots and roots of in vitro selected mung bean and tomato whereas higher concentrations induced significant reductions. Similar increases in protein content were detected at lower concentrations with no significant effects thereover. On the contrary, NaCl gradually inhibited NiR activity. Similar responses of total-N, protein and NiR activity, but with greater magnitudes, were detected in original plants. In addition, NaCl significantly reduced dry weights of shoots and roots of either in vitro selected or, in particular, original intact plants. Moreover, electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of protein from shoots of either in vitro selected or intact plants showed that NaCl induced new protein bands while some others were concomitantly disappeared. The induction of one or more of the 86.4, 79, 77.6, 77 and 71.5 kDa bands following in vitro selection and/or the disappearance of the 86 kDa band from intact plants seemed necessary for mung bean resistance. Also, the presence of 86.2 kDa band and/or the loss of the 85.8 and 57.5 kDa bands might be included in tomato resistance. Of these induced bands in mung bean selected on CB media, only two bands were detected in plants selected on MS media. In tomato, two bands lost following selection from cotyledons but only one band lost following selection from shoot apices. These changes in protein pattern therefore might serve as adaptive regulators for resistance to NaCl.     

Effects of salinity on seed set in rice

Salinity reduces fertility in rice (Oryza sativa L.), but little is known of the underlying cause(s). In order to determine the relative importance of pollen viability and stigmatic receptivity for seed setting, plants of the rice cultivar IR36 were treated with ‘artificial’ sea water (0,10, 25 or 5Omol^?3 with respect to NaCl) from 1 month after germination until the main tiller flowered. An increase in the salinity in the medium resulted in a decrease in the number of fertile florets and in the viability of pollen as determined both by pollen germination and by pollen staining with the tetrazolium salt 3-(4,5-dimethyl-ithyazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl monotetrazolium bromide. In order to assess the effects of salt on stigmas, seed production was measured for salt-grown and non-salt-grown female plants pollinated with viable pollen (from plants grown in the absence of salt). The percentage of seed set was reduced by 38% when the female plants were grown in 1Omol m^?3 Na and by 72% at 25mol m^?3 Na: no seed setting was recorded for plants grown in 50mol m^?3 Na. Comparisons between crosses involving male and female parents grown at different salinities indicated that effects on the female plants dominated those on pollinator plants. Mineral analysis of leaves of different ages showed that there was a gradient of K concentration from leaf to leaf which was opposite to that of Na and Cl at all levels of applied salinity: K was maximal in the flag leaf, where Na and Cl were minimal. Analysis also revealed that there was an increase in the concentrations of Na and Cl and a decrease in the concentration of K in the pollen grains and stigmas of plants subjected to saline conditions. Correlations between the concentration of Na and Cl in pollen and pollen staining and pollen germination in vitro suggest that Na and Cl perse were responsible for the poor viability. The change in ionic concentrations in pollen and stigmas was much larger than that in the younger leaves, and in particular very much larger than that in the lemmas and paleas.     

Silicon improves salinity tolerance in wheat plants

Durum wheat (Triticum durum cv. Gediz-75) and bread wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Izmir-85) were grown in a complete nutrient solution in a growth room to investigate effect of silicone supplied to the nutrient solution on plants grown at salt stress. The experiment was a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two levels of NaCl in nutrient solution, 0 and 100 mM, and two levels of silicone (Si) in nutrient solution, 0.25 and 0.50 mM, as Na₂SiO₃. The plants grown at 100 mM NaCl produced less dry matter and chlorophyll content than those without NaCl. Supplementary Si at both 0.25 and 0.5 mM ameliorated the negative effects of salinity on plant dry matter and chlorophyll content. Membrane permeability and proline content in leaves increased with addition of 100 mM NaCl and these increases were decreased with Si treatments. Sodium (Na) concentration in plant tissues increased in both leaves and roots of plants in the high NaCl treatment and Si treatments lowered significantly the concentrations of Na in both leaves and roots. Bread wheat was more tolerant to salinity than durum wheat. The accumulation of Na in roots indicates a possible mechanism whereby bread wheat copes with salinity in the rooting medium and/or may indicate the existence of an inhibition mechanism of Na transport to leaves. Concentrations of both Ca and K were lower in the plants grown at high NaCl than in those in the control treatment and these two element concentrations were increased by Si treatments in both shoots and roots but remained lower than control values in most cases.     

铁核桃根与叶水浸提液对果园间作绿肥植物的化感作用及其生理机制

以西南地区具有代表性的16种绿肥植物为受体材料,采用培养皿药膜法研究了铁核桃(Juglans sigillata)根水浸提液对受体种子发芽率及幼苗鲜重、干重的化感效应;并进一步研究了铁核桃根、叶水浸提液和胡桃醌对化感效应存在明显差异的4种绿肥植物(绿豆、红三叶、白三叶、花生)种子萌发与幼苗生长以及抗氧化酶特性的影响,以筛选适宜中国西南地区核桃园种植的绿肥植物,探讨核桃根和凋落物对绿肥作物的化感作用机制。结果表明:(1)铁核桃根水浸提液对绿豆的发芽率没有影响,但对绿豆幼苗鲜重和干重有显著抑制作用,而对其他15种绿肥的发芽率和鲜重、干重均有抑制作用。(2)胡桃醌显著抑制绿豆种子萌发,而铁核桃根或叶水浸提液对绿豆种子萌发没有影响。(3)铁核桃根或叶水浸提液以及胡桃醌对绿肥植物幼苗生长的化感效应趋势一致,但核桃根或叶水浸提液的化感效应强于胡桃醌。(4)绿豆幼苗在铁核桃根或叶水浸提液以及胡桃醌处理下,超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、过氧化物酶(POD)的活性均高于其他3种(红三叶、白三叶、花生)受体幼苗,表明绿豆清除活性氧能力高,细胞受损害程度较低,受化感作用影响最弱。研究认为,绿豆为适宜中国西南地区幼龄核桃园种植的间作绿肥植物。     

In vitro olive (Olea europaea L.) cvs Frantoio and Moraiolo microshoot tolerance to NaCl

Abstract

In vitro culture of rooted and unrooted olive microshoots, established from seed lines of free-pollinated “Frantoio” and “Moraiolo” cultivars, were evaluated for NaCl tolerance. The aim was to use growth and physiological parameters in order to identify salt-adapted genotypes. Leaf tissue elemental distribution of Na, Cl and K was also investigated in unrooted plantlets by cryo-scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis. Both in unrooted and rooted plantlets, increased concentrations of NaCl reduced shoot growth, whereas plant survival was not affected. However, no significant interactions between line and NaCl concentration were found. Elemental distribution showed that Moraiolo J and Frantoio Z accumulated more Na and Cl inside leaves, and that these elements followed a tissue-dependent pattern. Rooting capacity was reduced at the higher levels of NaCl. Significant interactions between seed line and salt treatment were found. Seed lines showed different abilities to develop roots at different salt levels. In particular, Frantoio Z showed a significant and different behaviour relative to the other seed lines at 50 mM NaCl with regard to both length and dry weight of roots. The results obtained suggest that rooting parameters are the most useful tools in the evaluation and screening of salt-tolerant olive genotypes through in vitro shoot culture.     

Effect of salinity on composition, viability and germination of seeds of Chenopodium quinoa Willd

Salinity influences plant growth, seed yield and seed quality even of halophytic crops such as Chenopodium quinoa. Plant growth, total seed yield, number of seeds, fresh weight and dry weight of seeds, were all significantly reduced in the presence of salinity. Only at high salinity did the content of proteins (as well as total N) increase significantly in the seeds whereas the content of total carbohydrates (as well as total C) decrease. Aside from that the capacity for germination was diminished by a reduced seed size and a disproportionate reduction of the volume of the perisperm. However, the reduced capacity seemed to be compensated by an accelerated germination owing to high Na and Cl concentrations leading to a low water potential in the walls of the plant ovary. At high salinity the passage of NaCl to the seed interior was hindered by the seed cover. There was an obvious gradient between potentially toxic (Na and Cl) and essentially needed elements (K, Mg, Ca, P and S) across the seed coat of salt treated plants and also a significant change of the distribution of elements in the embryo. The results indicate a highly protected seed interior leading to a high salinity resistance of quinoa seeds.     

A STUDY ON 3-DEOXY-D-ARABINO-HEPTULOSONIC ACID 7-PHOSPHATE SYNTHASE IN HIGHER PLANTS

Several plant tissues were assayed for DAHP synthase activity.The activity was found in most of the plants examined, and thehighest activity was detected in developing mung bean plants.During the growth of mung bean shoots, the highest level ofthe activity on protein basis was seen 6 to 8 days after sowing. Some properties of DAHP synthase were investigated using theenzyme preparation mainly from mung bean shoots. The productof the reaction was identified as DAHP by paper chromatographyof the reaction mixture and by the absorption spectrum of thederivative formed by periodate-TBA treatment. Mg⁺⁺ at 1–5mM concentration increased the rate of DAHP formation threeto four times, although the enzyme was still active in the absenceof Mg⁺⁺. Optimal pH was found to be between pH 7.2 and 7.9.Relationship between the rate of DAHP formation and concomitantacid phosphate activity in enzyme preparations was discussed. (Received July 20, 1967; )     

In vitro selection of mung bean and tomato for improving tolerance to NaCl

Mung bean and tomato were in vitro selected from cotyledons on MS medium for improved tolerance to NaCl. The growth responses; the Na, K, proline and anthocyanin contents; and activities of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL, EC 4.3.1.5), tyrosine ammonia lyase (TAL, EC 4.3.1) and chalcone isomerase (CI, EC 5.5.1.5) of the selected plants were characterised and compared with those of the original plants in relation to treatment with NaCl. The treatments significantly reduced fresh and dry weights of shoots and roots; the reduction was least pronounced in selected plants. Meanwhile, Na content was significantly increased; however, K was decreased, a trend that was obvious in original plants but withdrawn following in vitro selection with a consequent lowering in Na/K ratio. In addition, proline was greatly induced by NaCl; the induction was most pronounced in selected plants. Moreover, NaCl significantly increased anthocyanin and activities of PAL, TAL and CI in shoots and roots of both species; the increase was lesser in the selected than in the original plants. These findings indicated that selection of mung bean and tomato resulted in a recovery of growth, overproduction of proline and K and withdrawal of Na and secondary metabolism parameters relative to original plants pointing out to an improved tolerance to NaCl following in vitro selection.     

Response of greenhouse tomato to salt stress and K+ supplement

Abstract

The effect of NaCl salinity and potassium supplement on growth, tissue ion concentration, photosynthesis, yield and fruit quality characteristics of tomato plants was studied. Tomato plants, hyb. Belladonna, were grown in 8.5 l pots, filled with 1:3 sand:perlite mixture and irrigated with a half-strength Hoagland solution through a closed hydroponic system. Six irrigation treatments were applied, including combinations of 3 salinity (0, 35 and 70 mM NaCl) and two potassium levels (K1: 200 ppm and K2: 400 ppm) in the nutrient solution. Salinity reduced photosynthesis resulting in reduced plant height and dry weight. Yield was reduced by 25% and 69% at 35 and 70 mM, respectively, as compared to control plants (0 mM NaCl). Both total soluble solids and titratable acidity of the fruit increased with increasing salinity and K levels. The application of high potassium level (K2) reduced the concentration of Na and increased that of K in the leaves and roots of the plants, as compared to K1 treatment. Toxicity symptoms were mostly observed in the leaves of 70K1 plants, while no visual symptoms of toxicity were observed in 70K2 treatment. Despite the positive effects of potassium supplement in reducing Na concentration and the absence of toxicity symptoms in the leaves, plant growth was not improved, while leaf photosynthesis was reduced. Furthermore, no positive effects in the percentage of marketable fruit, mean fruit weight and yield were observed in the plants receiving extra K.