Use of cytophotometry for determination of salt resistance of wild plants

Abstract

In determination of salt resistance of wild plants, cytophotometry has been used for evaluation of distribution of nuclei of the root meristem cells. Salt resistant and salt sensitive plants of two Thellungiella species whose seeds were collected at the places of their vegetation, as well as of two Aegilops L. species from the collection of the All-Russia Research Institute of Plant Industry (VIR), have been analyzed in the experiments. Salt resistant cells of Thel. botschantzevii and Ae. taushii (k-677) were accumulated in the G1 period of the interphase, which indicates high adaptation of these plants to high concentrations of salts. It has been demonstrated that cytophotometry can be used for determination of salt resistance of wild plants growing in the climatic zones appropriate for their natural propagation.