Abstract
The effect of alkali stress on crop production has gained importance around the world. Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is considered a salt-sensitive species, but the effect of alkaline water on avocados has not been sufficiently studied. Plant growth, leaf damage, and chemical analysis were evaluated in response to alkali salt (NaHCO3) and neutral salt (NaCl) stresses on six clonally propagated avocado rootstocks. All plants exhibited exclusion mechanisms by the accumulation of Na+ and Cl− in their root systems, Na+ was concentrated to a greater extent than Cl−. The accumulation of Na+ in the leaves was greater when applied as NaHCO3 compared to the NaCl treatment. Although Cl− toxicity is more commonly observed under usual field conditions, in our experiments when Na+ reached the leaves it caused nearly two times more leaf necrosis.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Ana Rosa Socorro Monzón, for the technical assistance with all the plant, water and soil analysis and the technical team headed by Diego Pérez Acosta for the field work.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.