Hydroponics growth of Eucalyptus saligna Sm. on salt-stress mediated by sodium chloride

Abstract

The aim of this work was to evaluate the growth of two clones of Eucalyptus saligna on salt-stress mediated by NaCl in hydroponics. Micropropagated plants of the clones p0 and p1 were acclimatizated and cultivated in hydroponics at 0 and 300 mM NaCl levels. The total length, volume, number, fresh mass and dry mass of the roots, the height, fresh and dry mass of the aerial part and the fresh and dry mass of the complete plant were evaluated to the 14 days of hydroponic culture with NaCl. There were significant differences among the clones. The clone p0 was superior to the clone p1 in relation to volume of the roots, root number, root fresh mass and total fresh mass of the root. Regards the effect of the salinity on the plants, significant reduction was observed in the height of the aerial part, fresh mass of the aerial part and the total fresh mass. Even so, the interaction between the clones and the concentrations of NaCl was significant for the total fresh mass. In the period of 14 days of hydroponic culture on 300 mM NaCl was possible to discriminate these two clones in relation to the tolerance and susceptibility to the salt stress. The clone p0 presented higher growth and larger tolerance to the salinity than clone p1.