Abstract
Two neutral salts (NaCl and Na2SO4) and alkaline salts (NaHCO3 and Na2CO3) were both mixed in 2:1 ratio, and the effects of saline and alkaline stresses on growth and physiological changes in oat seedlings were explored. The result showed that biomass, water content and chlorophyll content decreased while cell membrane permeability significantly increased under alkaline stress. Saline stress did not have an obvious effect on pH value in tissue fluids of shoot and root, but alkaline stress increased pH value in the root tissue fluid. The contents of Na+, Na+/K+, SO42- increased more, and K+, NO3-, H2PO4- decreased more under alkaline stress, the Cl- content increased obviously under saline stress but had little change under alkaline stress. The increments of proline and organic acid were both greater under alkaline stress, but organic acid content kept the same level under saline stress. Alkaline stress caused more harmful effects on growth and physiological changes in oat seedlings especially broke the pH stability in the root tissue fluid. Physiological adaptive mechanisms of oat seedlings under saline stress and alkaline stress were different, which mainly took the way of accumulating organic acid under alkali stress but accumulating Cl- under saline stress.
Highlights
As saline soil widely distributes in more than 100 countries, and covers about 10% of arable area over the world, soil salinization becomes one of the environmental problems over the world
The damage effect of alkaline stress caused by alkali salts such as NaHCO3 and Na2CO3 on plant is more obvious than that of saline stress caused by neutral salts such as NaCl and Na2SO4 (Yang et al, 2009)
Inhibiting effect of saline and alkaline stresses on oat seedling growth Biomass is comprehensive expression of plants responding to saline and alkaline stresses and an accurate index of saline and alkaline resistance
Summary
As saline soil widely distributes in more than 100 countries, and covers about 10% of arable area over the world, soil salinization becomes one of the environmental problems over the world. Cations of soluble salts in saline-alkaline soil mainly include Na+,Ca2+,Mg2+ and K+, anions mainly include Cl-,SO42-,HCO3-,CO32- and NO3- (Tannic 1990). The characteristic of saline-alkaline soil in Northeast China is that Na+ is the main cations and Cl-, SO42-, HCO3- and CO32- are the main anions (Yang et al, 2007, 2008). Once soil contains alkaline salt such as NaHCO3 and Na2CO3, pH value of the soil will increase. At this time, plants suffer from saline stress and alkaline stress caused by high pH. The damage effect of alkaline stress caused by alkali salts such as NaHCO3 and Na2CO3 on plant is more obvious than that of saline stress caused by neutral salts such as NaCl and Na2SO4 (Yang et al, 2009). Soil salinization and alkalization frequently co-occur such as in the west Songnen plain of Northeast China, soil salinization and alkalization in grassland and farmland becomes more seriously, which cause losses in agricultural productivity and pose an ecological crisis for humans
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