217
Views
7
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Articles

CHARACTERIZATION OF THE PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE OF THE HIGHLY-TOLERANT TOMATO CV. ‘PONCHO NEGRO’ TO SALINITY AND EXCESS BORON

, , , , &
Pages 1254-1267 | Received 29 Apr 2009, Accepted 04 Apr 2010, Published online: 09 Jun 2011
 

Abstract

The variety of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) called ‘Poncho Negro’ by farmers represents an important source of genetic resources of agricultural interest, because it has managed to thrive at levels of salinity and excess B that other varieties of the same species find impossible. This work was conducted under controlled growth conditions in a greenhouse, evaluating and obtaining plant material that served for physiological, chemical, and biochemical determinations. Stress conditions were supplied by irrigation, using different concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl; 75 and 150 mM) and excess boron (B; 5 and 20 mg L−1). The rate of net carbon dioxide (CO2) assimilation, the quantum efficiency of photosynthesis and the relative water content (RWC) were measured. In addition, B, sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), and calcium (Ca2+), soluble sugars, and proline were quantified. The results suggest that ‘Poncho Negro’ accumulated Na+ mainly in the roots, partly limiting its entry into the aerial parts. In addition, it should be noted that the interaction of B and salinity reduced the movement of Na+ to the leaves. The ability of cv. ‘Poncho Negro’ to minimize leaf Na+ accumulation, accumulate more leaf B than control plants, and maintain its K+ level, when grown with an excess of B, possibly allowed the observed increase in the rate of photosynthesis. In addition, these tomato plants used proline and soluble sugars as osmo-regulators under high-B and saline conditions. Under all stress conditions studied, this variety of tomato was able to regulate its water content, with RWC values of approximately 86%.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was funded partly by AECI/CEBAS-CSIC A/6021/06, Project UTA-Mayor 9721-08, and Convenio de Desempeño-UTA-MECESUP2. E. Bastías received a fellowship from the Fundacion Séneca, 09769/IV2/08. The authors thank Dr. David Walker for his correction of the English in the manuscript.

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 61.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 495.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.