Effects of salinity on growth and metabolism ofPhaseolus vulgaris

Increasing salinity induced a marked reduction in the plant growth, thoughPhaseolus seedlings tolerated salinity up to 120 mM NaCI. A great reduction in sugar and protein contents occurred with increasing salinity, whereas soluble nitrogen compounds and the relative contents of the photosynthetic pigments were increased in the treated plants. Increasing Ca concentration in the salinized medium appeared to improve the plant growth and to increase the contents of saccharides and proteins in the NaCl-treated plants. This suggests that Ca could be added to salinized media to overcome the deleterious effects of salinity on the growth and productivity of leguminous crop plants.