The Effect of Salinity on Strawberry Stress and Growth on Two Soil Types

Abstract

Plants of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa cv. Tristar) of the same size were grown in 4-inch plastic plots either containing sand or organic soil mix. Plants were watered with solutions of 10, 25, and 50 mM of NaCl, and some with distilled water used as control. Under sunny conditions, the chlorophyll fluorescence measurements indicated that plants growing in sandy soil with 50 and 25 mM of NaCI with Fv/Fm values less than 0.40 tend to show salinity stress after 10 days with 50 mM NaCI, and after 15 days with 25 mM NaCI. Plants grown in organic soil mix do not show stress symptoms at any of the given NaCI concentrations. Plants growing under cloudy days do not show stress symptoms, whether or not the plants were grown in sandy soil or organic soil mix. No significant differences were detected on the total average shoot and root dry weights of plants grown in sandy soils and organic soil mix. However, highly significant differences was detected on the total average shoot dry weight growing under organic soil mix. These data indicate that organic matter reduces the effect of Na+ and Cl– on strawberry plant growth by decreasing the physiological stress during bright, sunny days. Plant tissue analysis shows that plants grown in organic soil mix absorb far less Na+ and Cl– than in sandy soil. Also, it does seem that strawberry plants can tolerate low concentrations of NaCI ions in the soil solution.