Effects of Salinity on Growth, Ionic Content, and Plant–Water Status of Aeluropus lagopoides

Abstract

The effect of sodium chloride (NaCl) in the external medium upon the growth, plant–water status, and ionic content of Aeluropus lagopoides was studied. Plants grown in non-saline and 200 mM NaCl had the greatest fresh and dry weights. Increasing salinity (400 to 1000 mol m⁻³ NaCl) caused a decrease in fresh and dry weights of plants. The water potential and osmotic potential of shoots became more negative with an increase in salinity, which was associated with an accumulation of Na⁺ and Cl⁻ in leaves. Shoot Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and K⁺ concentration remained constant in salinity treatments, while Na⁺ increased in salt treatments and reached greater than 4 mol m⁻³ g⁻¹ dry weight.

Keywords:

• Aeluropus lagopoides
• Growth
• Halophyte
• Ionic content
• Salt tolerance
• Water relations

Acknowledgments

M. Ajmal Khan thanks the University of Karachi for providing a research grant. This research was supported in part by National Science Foundation research grant INT-9730882