Leaf water relations and net gas exchange responses of salinized Carrizo citrange seedlings during drought stress and recovery

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Since salinity and drought stress can occur together, an assessment was made of their interacting effects on leaf water relations, osmotic adjustment and net gas exchange in seedlings of the relatively chloride-sensitive Carrizo citrange, Citrus sinensis x Poncirus trifoliata. METHODS: Plants were fertilized with nutrient solution with or without additional 100 mm NaCl (salt and no-salt treatments). After 7 d, half of the plants were drought stressed by withholding irrigation water for 10 d. Thus, there were four treatments: salinized and non-salinized plants under drought-stress or well-watered conditions. After the drought period, plants from all stressed treatments were re-watered with nutrient solution without salt for 8 d to study recovery. Leaf water relations, gas exchange parameters, chlorophyll fluorescence, proline, quaternary ammonium compounds and leaf and root concentrations of Cl(-) and Na(+) were measured. KEY RESULTS: Salinity increased leaf Cl(-) and Na(+) concentrations and decreased osmotic potential (Psi(pi)) such that leaf relative water content (RWC) was maintained during drought stress. However, in non-salinized drought-stressed plants, osmotic adjustment did not occur and RWC decreased. The salinity-induced osmotic adjustment was not related to any accumulation of proline, quaternary ammonium compounds or soluble sugars. Net CO(2) assimilation rate (A(CO2)) was reduced in leaves from all stressed treatments but the mechanisms were different. In non-salinized drought-stressed plants, lower A(CO2) was related to low RWC, whereas in salinized plants decreased A(CO2) was related to high levels of leaf Cl(-) and Na(+). A(CO2) recovered after irrigation in all the treatments except in previously salinized drought-stressed leaves which had lower RWC and less chlorophyll but maintained high levels of Cl(-), Na(+) and quaternary ammonium compounds after recovery. High leaf levels of Cl(-) and Na(+) after recovery apparently came from the roots. CONCLUSIONS: Plants preconditioned by salinity stress maintained a better leaf water status during drought stress due to osmotic adjustment and the accumulation of Cl(-) and Na(+). However, high levels of salt ions impeded recovery of leaf water status and photosynthesis after re-irrigation with non-saline water.     

Salinity tolerance of 'Valencia' orange trees on rootstocks with contrasting salt tolerance is not improved by moderate shade

The effects of shading in combination with salinity treatments were studied in citrus trees on two rootstocks with contrasting salt tolerance to determine if shading could reduce the negative effects of salinity stress. Well-nourished 2-year-old 'Valencia' orange trees grafted on Cleopatra mandarin (Cleo, relatively salt tolerant) or Carrizo citrange (Carr, relatively salt sensitive), were grown either under a 50% shade cloth or left unshaded in full sunlight. Half the trees received no salinity treatment and half were salinized with 50 mM Cl- during two 9 week salinity periods in the spring and autumn interrupted by an 11 week rainy period. The shade treatment reduced midday leaf temperature and leaf-to-air vapour pressure deficit regardless of salinity treatments. In non-salinized trees, shade increased midday CO2 assimilation rate (A(CO2)) and stomatal conductance, but had no effect on leaf transpiration (E(lf)). Shade also increased leaf chlorophyll and photosynthetic water use efficiency (A(CO2)/E(lf)) in leaves on both rootstocks and increased total plant dry weight in Cleo. The salinity treatment reduced leaf growth and leaf gas exchange parameters. Shade decreased Cl- concentrations in leaves of salinized Carr trees, but had no effect on leaf or root Cl- of trees on Cleo. There were no significant differences in leaf gas exchange parameters of shaded and unshaded salinized plants but the growth reduction from salinity stress was actually greater for shaded than for unshaded trees. Shaded trees on both rootstocks had higher leaf Na+ than unshaded trees after the first salinity period, and this shade-induced elevated leaf Na+ persisted after the second salinity period in trees on Carr. Thus, shading did not alleviate the negative effects of salinity on growth and Na+ accumulation.     

Abscisic Acid Reduces Leaf Abscission and Increases Salt Tolerance in Citrus Plants

This paper describes the physiological effects of abscisic acid (ABA) and 100 mM NaCl on citrus plants. Water potential, leaf abscission, ethylene production, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and chloride accumulation in roots and leaves were measured in plants of Salustiana scion [Citrus sinensis (L) Osbeck] grafted onto Carrizo citrange (Citrus sinensis [L.] Osbeck × Poncirus trifoliata [L.] Raf) rootstock. Plants under salt stress accumulated high amounts of chloride, increased ethylene production, and induced leaf abscission. Stomatal conductance and photosynthetic rates rapidly dropped after salinization. The addition of 10 mM ABA to the nutrient solution 10 days before the exposure to salt stress reduced ethylene release and leaf abscission. These effects were probably due to a decrease in the accumulation of toxic Cl- ions in leaves. In non-salinized plants, ABA reduced stomatal conductance and CO2 assimilation, whereas in salinized plants the treatment slightly increased these two parameters. The results suggest a protective role for ABA in citrus under salinity.     

Ion accumulation in the cell walls of rice plants growing under saline conditions: evidence for the Oertli hypothesis

Abstract. When plants of rice ( Oryza saliva L.) are subjected to mildly saline (50mol m⁻³ NaCl) conditions, the leaves show symptoms of water deficit, even though ion accumulation has been more than sufficient to adjust to the decrease in external water potential. After a few days of exposure to salt, there is a negative correlation, in a population of leaves, between the leaf water concentration (g water per g dry weight) and their sodium concentration (mmol Na per g dry weight). Ion concentrations in the cell walls and the cytoplasm of cells of plants grown in low salinity were measured by X-ray microanalysis. The NaCl concentration in solution in the apoplast was calculated to be around 600mol m⁻³ in leaves of plants whose roots were exposed to only 50 mol m⁻³ NaCl. This constitutes strong evidence that an important factor in salt damage in rice is dehydration due to the extracellular accumulation of salt as suggested in the Oertli hypothesis. The implication, that changes in tissue ion concentration and solute potentials equivalent to the external medium is not evidence of plant osmotic adjustment to salinity, is discussed.     

Effects of salinity on growth and cation accumulation of Sporobolus virginicus (Poaceae)

Optimal growth of euhalophytes requires moderate concentrations of salt and, in dicotyledons, is associated with succulence and accumulation of Na(+) in plant tissues. However, reports of salt-stimulated growth in monocotyledons are rare. Relative growth rate (RGR), biomass accumulation, and water content were studied in Sporobolus virginicus (Poaceae), a C(4) chloridoid grass, grown hydroponically with different concentrations of NaCl. Cation concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Optimal growth occurred at 100-150 mmol/L NaCl and was not dependent on nitrogen levels or accompanied by accumulation of Na(+) in leaves. Biomass accumulation and RGR in plants grown at 450 mmol/L NaCl were greater than in plants grown at 5 mmol/L. The Na?:?K ratios were lower in leaves than in roots, indicating discrimination in Na(+) and K(+) transport. Secretion of Na(+) increased from 166.5 to 336.7 mmol · g(-1) dry biomass · d(-1) as the NaCl concentration of the nutrient solution increased from 125 mmol/L to 450 mmol/L. Water concentrations of leaves and shoots were significantly greater in plants grown at optimal levels of salinity than in plants grown at lower or higher salinities. These results demonstrate salt-stimulated growth in a monocotyledon.     

Effects of Salinity on the Extensibility and Ca Availability in the Expanding Region of Growing Barley Leaves

The growth of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) leaves is reduced by salinity. We used the Instron extensometric technique to measure the reversible and irreversible compliance of the expanding regions of growing barley leaves from plants exposed to 1, 40, 80 and 120 mM NaCl in nutrient solution. Two barley cultivars differing in salinity resistance (cv ‘Arivat’ and cv ‘Briggs’) were compared over 5d of leaf growth. During the period of most active leaf expansion, salinity reduced reversible compliance and increased compliance in the leaf segments, although responses to salinity were complex and changed over the course of leaf expansion. Salinity increased irreversible compliance more in the salt-sensitive cultivar Arivat than in the more salt-tolerant cultivar Briggs. Elemental analysis of the basal leaf segments used for extensometry revealed an accumulation of Na and a depletion of Ca in segments from salinized plants, resulting in very high Na: Ca ratios in salinized expanding tissue. The concentrations of K and Mg in basal leaf tissue were elevated by salinity. Our data do support the hypothesis that the inhibition of leaf expansion by salinity stress is mediated by a decline in irreversible extensibility. We suggest that reduced Ca availability in expanding leaf tissue may contribute to growth reduction in salt-stressed barley seedlings.     

Root-synthesized cytokinins improve shoot growth and fruit yield in salinized tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants

Salinity limits crop productivity, in part by decreasing shoot concentrations of the growth-promoting and senescence-delaying hormones cytokinins. Since constitutive cytokinin overproduction may have pleiotropic effects on plant development, two approaches assessed whether specific root-localized transgenic IPT (a key enzyme for cytokinin biosynthesis) gene expression could substantially improve tomato plant growth and yield under salinity: transient root IPT induction (HSP70::IPT) and grafting wild-type (WT) shoots onto a constitutive IPT-expressing rootstock (WT/35S::IPT). Transient root IPT induction increased root, xylem sap, and leaf bioactive cytokinin concentrations 2- to 3-fold without shoot IPT gene expression. Although IPT induction reduced root biomass (by 15%) in control (non-salinized) plants, in salinized plants (100?mM NaCl for 22?d), increased cytokinin concentrations delayed stomatal closure and leaf senescence and almost doubled shoot growth (compared with WT plants), with concomitant increases in the essential nutrient K(+) (20%) and decreases in the toxic ion Na(+) (by 30%) and abscisic acid (by 20-40%) concentrations in transpiring mature leaves. Similarly, WT/35S::IPT plants (scion/rootstock) grown with 75?mM NaCl for 90?d had higher fruit trans-zeatin concentrations (1.5- to 2-fold) and yielded 30% more than WT/non-transformed plants. Enhancing root cytokinin synthesis modified both shoot hormonal and ionic status, thus ameliorating salinity-induced decreases in growth and yield.     

能源植物杂交狼尾草对NaCl胁迫的响应及其耐盐阈值

以能源植物杂交狼尾草(Pennisetum americanum × P. purpureum)为实验材料, 用沙培盆栽的方法, 分别用0、0.3%、0.5%、0.9%和1.2%的NaCl处理4周后, 测定植株鲜重、干重、含水量、株高、分蘖数和不同部位的离子含量, 以确定其耐盐阈值和耐盐方式。结果表明, 随着NaCl浓度的增加, 杂交狼尾草的鲜重、干重、株高和分蘖数都显著降低, 地上部分鲜重和干重分别在NaCl浓度为0.568%和0.570%时下降了50%, 1.2% NaCl处理的杂交狼尾草几乎全部死掉。表明杂交狼尾草的耐盐阈值为0.57%; 但植株含水量和功能叶的Na⁺含量变化不明显, 老叶Na⁺含量在NaCl浓度为0.9%时明显升高, 是对照的2倍; 随NaCl浓度的升高, 根中的Na⁺含量显著升高, 在NaCl浓度为0.9%时, 根中的Na⁺含量达到对照的3倍以上。Na⁺含量在功能叶, 老叶和根中含量依次升高; 随NaCl浓度的升高, 地上部分和根中的K⁺含量都无明显变化; 随NaCl浓度的升高, 根中的Na⁺/K⁺明显增加, 而地上部分Na⁺/K⁺只有当NaCl浓度为0.9%时明显增加。以上结果表明杂交狼尾草具有一定的耐盐性, 其耐盐方式为拒盐, 耐盐阈值为0.57% (约100 mmol·L^-1)。     

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.     

NaCl homoeostasis as a factor for the survival of the evergreen halophyte Armeria maritima (Mill.) Willd. under salt stress in winter

The combination of NaCl and low temperature stress makes winter a critical time for evergreen halophytes at temperate latitudes. As part of a study of ecotypic differentiation of the evergreen Armeria maritima (Mill.) Willd., inland and salt-marsh populations were compared with respect to their growth and survival, osmotic adjustment and NaCl concentrations (based on dry weight) under salt stress in pot experiments in winter. Increased leaf necrosis in all populations under salt stress indicated a higher NaCl sensitivity in winter than in summer. Plants from inland populations were more sensitive than salt-marsh populations. Inland and salt-marsh populations showed similar capacities for seasonal osmotic adjustment, high seasonal increase of praline concentration and long-term betaine accumulation. Inland and salt-marsh populations allocated Na and Cl preferentially to the shoot. In inland populations, Na and Cl accumulated to high concentrations in leaves, whereas the much lower NaCl concentration in salt-marsh populations suggested that in these plants, Na uptake was regulated to match the growth-dependent ion demand of the shoot. The prevention of NaCl accumulation in times of slow growth by a NaCl homoeostasis system seemed to be an important adaptation with respect to the survival of evergreen plants in salt marshes.     

Changes in Growth and Nitrogen Assimilation in Maize Plants Induced by NaCl and Growth Regulators

Experiments were conducted to determine the interactive effects of salinity and certain growth regulators on growth and nitrogen assimilation in maize (Zea mays L. cv. GS-2). 100 mM NaCl inhibited the biomass accumulation, chlorophyll and carotenoid contents in leaves, nitrate content and uptake and nitrate reductase activity. The application of kinetin, ascorbic acid and 10 and 50 μM abscisic acid in the first experiment and 50 and 100 μM abscisic acid in the second experiment induced a substantial increase in the above parameters, the effect was highest with abscisic acid in salinized as well as non-salinized plants. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Abscisic acid and osmotic relations in Phaseolus vulgaris L. Shoots under salt stress

The exogenous application of abscisic acid (ABA) to well-watered plants may be of interest in imitating the effects of salinity on shoot growth. In this paper we have determined the time course of ABA accumulation in control and salt-stressed Phaseolus vulgaris plants and its possible relation to the accumulation of solutes and other physiologic conditions. The effect on shoot parameters of the application of exogenous ABA to the root system has also been checked. The addition of exogenous ABA to control plants caused a retardation of growth. The amount of ABA applied to the growth medium caused tissue ABA concentrations to become close to those of salinized plants. The addition of exogenous ABA to plants under control conditions resulted in a profile of proline and total sugar accumulation very similar to that observed in salinized plants. It was also found that NaCl treatment decreased the stomatal conductance and transpiration rate of leaves as well as the osmotic and turgor potentials. The addition of exogenous ABA also mimicked these responses, resulting in qualitatively and quantitatively similar results. These results, particularly those showing that the early transient rise in ABA upon exposure to NaCl coincides with the period of proline and total sugar accumulation, and that treatment of plants with exogenous ABA mimics these effects, are discussed around the idea that ABA stimulates the cellular processes of osmotic adjustment in P. vulgaris.Abbreviations ABA abscisic acid - HPLC high performance liquid chromatography - DW dry weight - FW fresh weight.     

Leaf development,transpiration and ion uptake and distribution in sugarcane cultivars grown under salinity

The effects of salinity on leaf growth, initiation and senescence, on transpiration rates, on leaf water potential and on uptake and distribution of several ions were studied in two sugarcane cultivars differing in salinity sensitivity. Plants, growing in a growing mixture in pots, were exposed to salinized irrigation water for 68 days, starting 60 days after planting. EC values of the irrigation water were 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0 and 12 dS/m, obtained by using a mixture of NaCl and CaCl2. Plants were also grown in nutrient solution and were at a similar age when exposed to a salinity level of 3 dS/m for 30 days followed by 6.0 dS/m for an additional 30 days. Two Na:Ca ratios of 18:1 and 1:2 were used for salinization of the nutrient solution. Both leaf dry weight and area decreased with increasing salinity, but in the more salinity tolerant cultivar H69-8235, the decrease was moderate. Salinity hardly reduced average area per leaf in H69-8235, while the number of leaves declined sharply. This decline was caused by enhanced senescence of mature leaves and not by a decreased rate of leaf initiation. In the more sensitive cultivar, H65-7052, leaf area and initiation of new leaves were sharply reduced by salinity while leaf senescence was less affected. Leaf water potential decreased during the early stages of salinity exposure, and the reduction in water potential was larger in H69-8235. Salinity also decreased the rate of transpiration rate but to a lesser extent than leaf development and growth. The accumulation of Cl and Na in the TVD (top visible dewlap) leaf of the tolerant cultivar H69-8235 was greater than in the sensitive cultivar H65-7052. The concentration of Cl in the TVD leaf was more than 10 times that of Na in both cultivars. The concentration of both ions, but not of K, increased during the early stages of salinity exposure and then remained constant. A gradient in concentration of Cl and Na over the plant was found in both cultivars at all salinity levels, and was steepest between the TVD and younger leaves. No specific Na effect on leaf growth or transpiration could be detected. The accumulation of Cl and Na but not of K occurred primarily in the roots rather than in the leaves and stalks. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Using euhalophytes to understand salt tolerance and to develop saline agriculture: Suaeda salsa as a promising model

Background As important components in saline agriculture, halophytes can help to provide food for a growing world population. In addition to being potential crops in their own right, halophytes are also potential sources of salt-resistance genes that might help plant breeders and molecular biologists increase the salt tolerance of conventional crop plants. One especially promising halophyte is Suaeda salsa, a euhalophytic herb that occurs both on inland saline soils and in the intertidal zone. The species produces dimorphic seeds: black seeds are sensitive to salinity and remain dormant in light under high salt concentrations, while brown seeds can germinate under high salinity (e.g. 600 mm NaCl) regardless of light. Consequently, the species is useful for studying the mechanisms by which dimorphic seeds are adapted to saline environments. S. salsa has succulent leaves and is highly salt tolerant (e.g. its optimal NaCl concentration for growth is 200 mm). A series of S. salsa genes related to salt tolerance have been cloned and their functions tested: these include SsNHX1, SsHKT1, SsAPX, SsCAT1, SsP5CS and SsBADH. The species is economically important because its fresh branches have high value as a vegetable, and its seed oil is edible and rich in unsaturated fatty acids. Because it can remove salts and heavy metals from saline soils, S. salsa can also be used in the restoration of salinized or contaminated saline land.Scope Because of its economic and ecological value in saline agriculture, S. salsa is one of the most important halophytes in China. In this review, the value of S. salsa as a source of food, medicine and forage is discussed. Its uses in the restoration of salinized or contaminated land and as a source of salt-resistance genes are also considered.     

Photosynthetic limitations of a halophyte sea aster (Aster tripolium L) under water stress and NaCl stress

To understand the mechanisms of salt tolerance in a halophyte, sea aster ( Aster tripolium L.), we studied the changes of water relation and the factors of photosynthetic limitation under water stress and 300 mM NaCl stress. The contents of Na(+) and Cl(-) were highest in NaCl-stressed leaves. Leaf osmotic potentials ( Psi(s)) were decreased by both stress treatments, whereas leaf turgor pressure ( Psi(t)) was maintained under NaCl stress. Decrease in Psi(s) without any loss of Psi(t) accounted for osmotic adjustment using Na(+) and Cl(-) accumulated under NaCl stress. Stress treatments affected photosynthesis, and stomatal limitation was higher under water stress than under NaCl stress. Additionally, maximum CO(2) fixation rate and O(2) evolution rate decreased only under water stress, indicating irreversible damage to photosynthetic systems, mainly by dehydration. Water stress severely affected the water relation and photosynthetic capacity. On the other hand, turgid leaves under NaCl stress have dehydration tolerance due to maintenance of Psi(t) and photosynthetic activity. These results show that sea aster might not suffer from tissue dehydration in highly salinized environments. We conclude that the adaptation of sea aster to salinity may be accomplished by osmotic adjustment using accumulated Na(+) and Cl(-), and that this plant has typical halophyte characteristics, but not drought tolerance.     

Tolerance of mannitol-accumulating transgenic wheat to water stress and salinity

Previous work with model transgenic plants has demonstrated that cellular accumulation of mannitol can alleviate abiotic stress. Here, we show that ectopic expression of the mtlD gene for the biosynthesis of mannitol in wheat improves tolerance to water stress and salinity. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv Bobwhite) was transformed with the mtlD gene of Escherichia coli. Tolerance to water stress and salinity was evaluated using calli and T(2) plants transformed with (+mtlD) or without (-mtlD) mtlD. Calli were exposed to -1.0 MPa of polyethylene glycol 8,000 or 100 mM NaCl. T(2) plants were stressed by withholding water or by adding 150 mM NaCl to the nutrient medium. Fresh weight of -mtlD calli was reduced by 40% in the presence of polyethylene glycol and 37% under NaCl stress. Growth of +mtlD calli was not affected by stress. In -mtlD plants, fresh weight, dry weight, plant height, and flag leaf length were reduced by 70%, 56%, 40%, and 45% compared with 40%, 8%, 18%, and 29%, respectively, in +mtlD plants. Salt stress reduced shoot fresh weight, dry weight, plant height, and flag leaf length by 77%, 73%, 25%, and 36% in -mtlD plants, respectively, compared with 50%, 30%, 12%, and 20% in +mtlD plants. However, the amount of mannitol accumulated in the callus and mature fifth leaf (1.7-3.7 micromol g(-1) fresh weight in the callus and 0.6-2.0 micromol g(-1) fresh weight in the leaf) was too small to protect against stress through osmotic adjustment. We conclude that the improved growth performance of mannitol-accumulating calli and mature leaves was due to other stress-protective functions of mannitol, although this study cannot rule out possible osmotic effects in growing regions of the plant.     

Measurements of redox activity at the plasmalemma

Salt (NaCl) tolerance of 3 eucalypt species ( Eucalyptus alba Reinw. ex Bl., E. camaldulensis Dehnh and E. microtheca f.v. Muell.) was studied: three-month-old seedlings grown in a greenhouse were watered by a saline solution (up to 700 m M ) for 1 month. Mineral, water and sugar contents were highly affected by the saline stress. Sodium, K and Ca were accumulated in the leaves. No significant differences were found between E. camaldulensis and E. microtheca , the tolerant species, in water and mineral contents. Sugar contents were greater in E. microtheca . In E. microtheca Na was highly accumulated in roots [up to 910 μmol (g fresh weight)⁻¹], less in stems [up to 580 μmol (g fresh weight)-1] and leaves [up to 410 μmol (g fresh weight)^−r]. Chloride was also accumulated, its content was greater than the total content of Na and K, especially in the salt-tolerant provenance. Potassium and Ca contents were variously affected by the saline stress whereas soluble protein, amino acid and sugar contents were increased. Just after the saline stress, plants showed a large increase in the Na content of the leaf while the decrease in the K content of the stem and leaf continued. Plants were killed by the stress, probably because of too high accumulation of Na in leaves or roots according to the provenance. Osmoregulation and especially the participation of Na are discussed.     

Improved growth of salinity-stressed soybean after inoculation with salt pre-treated mycorrhizal fungi

Two sets of experiments to determine the effect of mycorrhiza on soybean (Glycine max) growth under saline conditions and to investigate the salt acclimation of mycorrhizal fungi were conducted. In the first experiment, the effect of an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Glomus etunicatum on mineral nutrient, proline and carbohydrate concentrations and growth of soybean. Under different NaCl concentrations (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200mM) was evaluated. Salinity decreased AM colonization. In both the M and nonAM plants shoot and root proline and shoot Na and Zn concentrations were increased under salinity. Soybean plants inoculated with the AM fungus had significantly higher fresh and dry weight, root proline, P, K and Zn but lower shoot proline and Na concentrations compared to the non inoculated plants. In the second experiment, the AM fungus was pre-treated with NaCl (salt acclimation) then was used as inoculum for soybean plants subjected to 100mM NaCl. Root colonization, fresh and dry weight, root proline, P, K and Zn concentrations were greater in soybean plants inoculated with the salt pre-treated fungus, compared to those inoculated with the nonsalt pre-treated fungus. However, for Na, the situation was the opposite. Based on these results, the AM inoculation helps the growth of soybean plants grown in saline conditions. When the AM fungus was pre-treated with NaCl with a gradual increase of concentration, and then exposed to a sudden salt stress, their efficiency was increased. This may be due to the acclimation of the AM fungus to salinity.     

Alleviation of salinity stress in broccoli using foliar urea or methyl-jasmonate: analysis of growth,gas exchange,and isotope composition

We studied the effects of foliar application of urea or methyl-jasmonate (MeJA) on the salinity tolerance of broccoli plants (Brassisca oleracea L. var. italica). Plant dry weight, leaf CO₂ assimilation, and root respiration were reduced significantly under moderate saline stress (40 mM NaCl) but application of either urea or MeJA maintained growth, gas exchange parameters, and leaf N–NO₃ ⁻ concentrations at values similar to those of non-salinized plants. Additionally, when these two foliar treatments were applied leaf Na⁺ concentration was reduced compared with control plants grown at 40 mM NaCl. However, at a higher salt concentration (120 mM NaCl), no effect of the foliar applications was found on these parameters. Salinity also decreased leaf δ¹⁵N but increased δ¹³C. Our study shows the feasibility of using foliar urea or MeJA to improve tolerance under moderate saline stress.