Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
10876891 | Journal of Plant Physiology | 2014 | 12 Pages |
Abstract
Adaptation to salinity of a semi-arid inhabitant plant, henna, is studied. The salt tolerance mechanisms are evaluated in the belief that gas exchange (water vapor and CO2) should play a key role on its adaptation to salt stress because of the strong evaporation conditions and soil water deficit in its natural area of distribution. We grow henna plants hydroponically under controlled climate conditions and expose them to control (0Â mM NaCl), and two levels of salinity; medium (75Â mM NaCl) and high (150Â mM NaCl). Relative growth rate (RGR), biomass production, whole plant and leaf structure and ultrastructure adaptation, gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, nutrients location in leaf tissue and its balance in the plant are studied. RGR and total biomass decreased as NaCl concentration increased in the nutrient solution. At 75Â mM NaCl root biomass was not affected by salinity and RGR reached similar values to control plants at the end of the experiment. At this salinity level henna plant responded to salinity decreasing shoot to root ratio, increasing leaf specific mass (LSM) and intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE), and accumulating high concentrations of Na+ and Clâ in leaves and root. At 150Â mM NaCl growth was severely reduced but plants reached the reproductive phase. At this salinity level, no further decrease in shoot to root ratio or increase in LSM was observed, but plants increased iWUE, maintaining water status and leaf and root Na+ and Clâ concentrations were lower than expected. Moreover, plants at 150Â mM NaCl reallocated carbon to the root at the expense of the shoot. The effective PSII quantum yield [Y(II)] and the quantum yield of non-regulated energy dissipation [Y(NO)] were recovered over time of exposure to salinity. Overall, iWUE seems to be determinant in the adaptation of henna plant to high salinity level, when morphological adaptation fails.
Keywords
Y(NPQ)iWUERGRRWCChlPPFDDASEpidermisTemLipid bodyCarbon allocationVacuoleStarch grainIntrinsic water use efficiencydays after sowingLSMplant adaptationChloroplastcytoplasmSalinityphotosynthetic photon flux densityRelative water contentMitochondriaTransmission electron microscopyRelative growth ratenet photosynthetic rateStomatal conductanceY(NO)turgid weightfresh weightdry weightY(II)
Related Topics
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Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Agronomy and Crop Science
Authors
Nieves Fernández-GarcÃa, Enrique Olmos, Enas Bardisi, Jesús GarcÃa-De la Garma, Carmen López-Berenguer, José Salvador Rubio-Asensio,