Response of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh., E. globulus Labill. ssp. globulus and E. grandis W.Hill to excess boron and sodium chloride

In a sand culture experiment we investigated the effects of boron (0.01, 0.19, 0.46 and 0.93 mol m⁻³ B, as H₃BO₃), sodium chloride (0, 100 and 200 mol m⁻³ NaCl) and combined B and NaCl, over 36 days, on growth, water use and foliar ion concentrations of nine week-old seedlings of three fast-growing, commercial eucalypts ( Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. , E. globulus Labill. ssp. globulus and E. grandis W.Hill.). Shoot dry weight was significantly reduced by high concentrations of NaCl (p < 0.001) and by B and NaCl in combination (p ≤ 0.05) but not by B alone. Root dry weight was significantly reduced by both NaCl (p < 0.001) and B (p < 0.001), but not by combined B and NaCl. Foliar B concentrations increased with higher concentrations of applied B and decreased with higher NaCl concentrations. Foliar Na concentrations were greater with higher NaCl concentrations, whereas B application had no significant effect on foliar Na concentrations. All three species accumulated relatively high B concentrations in leaves. Severe boron toxicity symptoms (BTS) were apparent only when leaf B concentrations exceeded 50 mol x 10⁻⁶ g⁻¹, but even at these high concentrations plant growth was only slightly reduced. E. camaldulensis showed least development of BTS, the lowest leaf B concentrations and least reduction in height growth due to B and NaCl. The results suggest that there was a correlation between both B tolerance and B accumulation in leaves and between tolerance to B and NaCl. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.