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Nutritional and osmotic roles of nitrate in a euhalophyte and a xerophyte in saline conditions
Author(s) -
Song Jie,
Ding Xiaodong,
Feng Gu,
Zhang Fusuo
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2006.01748.x
Subject(s) - chemistry , salinity , saline , osmotic pressure , osmoregulation , botany , horticulture , proline , nutrient , biology , amino acid , biochemistry , ecology , endocrinology , organic chemistry
Summary• The effects of salinity and nitrogen (N) on growth and the role of NO 3 − in osmotic adjustment in the leaf‐succulent euhalophyte Suaeda physophora and the stem‐succulent xerophyte Haloxylon persicum were evaluated. • Seedlings were exposed to 1 or 300 m m NaCl in 0.05, 1 or 10 m m NO 3 − ‐N treatments for 24 d. • At 10 m m NO 3 − , 300 m m NaCl had no adverse effect on the concentration of NO 3 − , the content of organic N, and the estimated contribution of NO 3 − to osmotic potential in leaves of S. physophora , but markedly reduced these in stems of H. persicum . At 300 m m NaCl, more NO 3 − but less Cl − and Na + were involved in osmotic adjustment in leaves of S. physophora compared with that in stems of H. persicum . The contribution of NO 3 − to osmotic potential was much higher in S. physophora , but lower in H. persicum , than that of amino acids at 300 m m NaCl. • The nutritional and osmotic roles of NO 3 − ‐N seem to be more important in the euhalophyte S. physophora than in the xerophyte H. persicum under saline conditions. These characteristics may determine the natural distributions of the two species in saline or arid environments.