Growth Of Salt-stressed Plants Research Articles

Calcium amendment for improved germination, plant growth, and leaf photosynthetic electron transport in oat (Avena sativa) under NaCl stress.

Calcium (Ca2+) is an essential nutrient element for plants as it stabilizes the membrane system structure and controls enzyme activity. To investigate the effects of Ca2+ on plant growth and leaf photosynthetic electron transport in oat (Avena sativa) under NaCl stress, oat seeds and plants were cultivated in nutrient solutions with single NaCl treatment and NaCl treatment with CaCl2 amendment. By measuring the seed germination rate, plant growth, Na+ and Cl- accumulation in leaves, ion leakage in seedlings and leaves, prompt chlorophyll a fluorescence (PF) transient (OJIP), delayed chlorophyll a fluorescence (DF), and modulated 820 nm reflection (MR) values of the leaves at different growth phases, we observed that Ca2+ alleviated the inhibition of germination and plant growth and decreased Na+ and Cl- accumulation and ion leakage in the leaves under NaCl stress. NaCl stress changed the curves of the OJIP transient, induced PF intensity at P-step (FP) decrease and PF intensity at J-step (FJ) increase, resulted in obvious K and L bands, and altered the performance index of absorption (PIABS), the absorption of antenna chlorophyll (ABS/RC), electron movement efficiency (ETo/TRo), and potential maximum photosynthetic capacity (FV/FM) values. With the time extension of NaCl stress, I1 and I2 in the DF curve showed a decreasing trend, the lowest values of MR/MRO curve increased, and the highest points of the MR/MRO curve decreased. Compared with NaCl treatment, the extent of change induced by NaCl in the values of OJIP, DF and MR was reduced in the NaCl treatment with CaCl2 amendment. These results revealed that Ca2+ might improve the photosynthetic efficiency and the growth of salt-stressed plants by maintaining the integrity of oxygen-evolving complexes and electron transporters on the side of the PSI receptor and enhancing the relationship between the functional units of the photosynthetic electron transport chain. The findings from this study could be used for improving crop productivity in saline alkali lands.

Potassium Synergize the Positive Effect of Ascorbic Acid on some Morpho-physiological Parameters of Salt Stressed Faba Bean Cultivars

THIS WORK was undertaken to evaluate the effect of ascorbic acid (AsA) and potassium (K) on some morpho-physiological parameters of two Vicia faba L cultivars (Giza 843 and Giza 716) grown in nutrient solutions containing different concentrations of NaCl (50, 100 and 150mM NaCl) and K (5, 10 and 15mM) for two weeks. In general, under saline conditions, significant reduction in plant biomass and chlorophylls was detected. Seed presoaking in AsA solution resulted in massive increase in growth parameters and chlorophyll contents in both genotypes of stressed and non-stressed plants, but it depended on K concentration, 15mM K was the best. The positive effect of AsA on growth of salt stressed plants was not manifested when K concentration was low (5mM). In both genotypes, carbohydrate and protein contents increased as NaCl increased. Further significant-increase in their contents was detected when seeds were soaked in AsA and plants were cultured under salt stress; it depended on K concentration in the nutrient solution, 15mM K was the best. This type of synergizing between AsA and K on carbohydrate and protein contents was absent under low concentration of K. Sodium increased but K, Mg and Ca contents decreased in both cultivars under salt stress especially when K concentration was low (5mM). Under stressed or unstressed conditions, significant decrease in Na but significant increase in K, Ca and Mg contents due to AsA was detected and it was proportional to K concentration, 15mM K was the best.

Methyl jasmonate enhances salt tolerance of almond rootstocks by regulating endogenous phytohormones, antioxidant activity and gas-exchange

The effects of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) foliar application (0, 0.025, 0.050 and 0.075 mM) on the growth and physiological responses of two almond rootstocks (GF677 and bitter almond) exposed to various concentrations of NaCl in irrigation water (0, 50, 100 and 150 mM) were evaluated. 60 days after salt stress exposure, the mitotic index of root apical meristem cells as well as shoot and root growth, activity of main antioxidant enzymes, gas exchange parameters and contents of cytokinins and ABA were determined. Salt stress decreased the plants’ growth, particularly at higher levels. Application of MeJA in optimal concentrations of 0.025 to 0.05 mM alleviated the adverse effect of salt stress by increasing the photosynthetic rate, activity of antioxidant enzymes (APX, SOD and POX), root and shoot dry mass, as well as cell membrane integrity. Furthermore, MeJA application brought about a two-fold increase in the concentration of leaf cytokinins. This reposition of cytokinins was due to restriction of both the activity of cytokinin oxidase and gene expression of this enzyme. The MeJA mitigating effect on the growth of salt-stressed plants could be a result of the inhibition of cytokinin decline under salt stress. The results revealed the effective impact of endogenous cytokinins in protective and growth improvement effects of MeJA on almond rootstocks under salt stress.

Effect of silicon and selenium on enzymatic changes and productivity of dill in saline condition

Anethum graveolens is an annual herb in the celery family Apiaceae. The experiment was carried out in a factorial design with two factors include salinity, which was applied to the root medium as NaCl (0 and 10ds/m) and nutrition as sodium silicate (0 and 1.5mM), and selenate (0, 5μM). Supplementary Si or Se ameliorated the negative effects of salinity on plant dry matter and chlorophyll content. Application of Si or Se decreased Na+ concentration and increased K+ concentration in roots and shoots of dill plants. Salinity imposed oxidative stress and leaded to increase malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration. Under saline condition, addition of Si/Se significantly increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in salt-stressed plant when compared with plant subjected to salinity alone. Our results revealed that improvement in growth of salt stressed plants under the influence of Si and Se may be due to the improved ion balance, antioxidant enzymes activities and osmotic adjustment. These trace elements had negative effect on growth under non-saline conditions. Therefore, application of these trace elements (especially Silicon) under saline condition could be a better strategy for maintaining the crop productivity in these regions.

Enhanced salt tolerance in maize plants induced by H2O2 leaf spraying is associated with improved gas exchange rather than with non-enzymatic antioxidant system

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an essential signaling molecule that mediates plant responses against several biotic and abiotic stresses. H2O2 pretreatment has emerged as a signaling way, inducing salt stress acclimation in plants. Here, we analyzed the effects of H2O2 leaf pretreatment on the non-enzymatic defense system (ascorbate and glutathione), plant growth, relative water content (RWC), relative chlorophyll content, H2O2 content, and gas exchange in maize plants under NaCl stress. The results showed that salinity reduced the leaf area and shoot and root dry mass as compared to control, and the leaf spraying with H2O2 significantly improved the growth of salt stressed plants. Photosynthesis and transpiration, stomatal conductance and intercellular CO2 concentration were strongly decreased by salinity after 7 and 14 days of salt exposure; however, the decrease was lower in plants sprayed with H2O2. The improved gas exchange in H2O2-sprayed stressed plants correlated positively with higher RWC and relative chlorophyll content and lower leaf H2O2 accumulation under NaCl stress conditions. Ascorbate and glutathione did not play any obvious effects as non-enzymatic antioxidants in the ROS scavenging. In conclusion, the salt tolerance induced by H2O2 leaf pretreatment is attributed to a reduction in the H2O2 content and maintenance of RWC and chlorophyll in maize leaves. These characteristics allow maize plants to maintain high rates of photosynthesis under salt stress and improve the growth.

Effects of silicon on photosynthesis, water relations and nutrient uptake of Phaseolus vulgaris under NaCl stress

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of silicon application on Phaseolus vulgaris L. under two levels of salt stress (30 and 60 mM NaCl in the irrigation water). Salinity significantly reduced growth, stomatal conductance and net photosynthetic rate, and increased Na+ and Cl− content mainly in roots. Silicon application enhanced growth of salt stressed plants, significantly reduced Na+ content especially in leaves and counterbalanced the effects of NaCl on gas exchange; the effect was more evident at 30 mM NaCl. Cl− content in shoots and roots was not significantly modified by silicon application; the drop in K+ content caused by salinity was partially counterbalanced by silicon, especially in roots.

Effect of Salt Stress and Manganese Supply on Growth of Barley Seedlings

Effect of supplemental manganese (Mn) on the growth of salt-stressed barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was assessed to determine if a salinity-induced Mn deficiency was limiting plant growth. Sodium chloride (NaCl) was added to the black-cotton soil and salinity was maintained at 0.3, 4, 8, 12, and 16 dS m−1. A negative relationship between percent seed germination and increasing salt concentration was obtained, however, results suggested that barley is salt tolerant at seed germination stage. Increasing concentration of NaCl significantly reduced plant growth. Also, salinity induced a Mn deficiency in shoots of plants. Manganese was added to the soil at control and at 8 dS m−1 salinity. Supplemental Mn improved the growth of salt-stressed plants to a limited extent, but it did not improve the growth of control plants. Further, supplemental Mn increased the relative growth rate of salt-stressed plants and this increase was attributed to an increase in the net assimilation rate of salt-stressed plants and not to leaf area ratio. Salt concentration adversely affected the uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus by plants, which resulted in imbalance of nutrients in salt-stressed plants. It appears that factors other than Mn, such as ionic, water- and nutrient-stresses can limit the growth of salt-stressed plants and supplemental Mn has only a limited role in mitigation of adverse effect of salinity.