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Effect of Salinity on Seed Germination, Growth, and Ion Accumulation of Atriplex patula (Chenopodiaceae)
Author(s) -
Ungar Irwin A.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.1002/j.1537-2197.1996.tb12745.x
Subject(s) - halophyte , germination , salinity , biology , atriplex , shoot , chenopodiaceae , soil salinity , horticulture , botany , facultative , agronomy , ecology
Seeds and seedlings of the halophyte Atriplex patula were exposed to 0–2% NaCl to determine the effect of salt stress on germination and growth. Seeds germinated and plants survived and grew in solutions of up to 2.0% NaCl. Both seed germination and dry mass production were negatively affected by increased salinity. Dry mass production declined to 1% of controls and seed germination to 17% of controls in the 2% NaCl treatments, indicating that seeds were less inhibited than growing plants. Also, recovery treatments indicated that high salinity did not permanently injure seeds. Percent ash, and Na + and Cl − ions increased in shoots with each salt increment, while the K + ion content decreased sharply. Atriplex patula is a facultative halophyte, and is limited to low and moderately saline sites because both seed germination and growth are severely reduced at salinities > 1% NaCl.