Effect of Salt Stress and Manganese Supply on Growth of Barley Seedlings

Abstract

Effect of supplemental manganese (Mn) on the growth of salt-stressed barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was assessed to determine if a salinity-induced Mn deficiency was limiting plant growth. Sodium chloride (NaCl) was added to the black-cotton soil and salinity was maintained at 0.3, 4, 8, 12, and 16 dS m⁻¹. A negative relationship between percent seed germination and increasing salt concentration was obtained, however, results suggested that barley is salt tolerant at seed germination stage. Increasing concentration of NaCl significantly reduced plant growth. Also, salinity induced a Mn deficiency in shoots of plants. Manganese was added to the soil at control and at 8 dS m⁻¹ salinity. Supplemental Mn improved the growth of salt-stressed plants to a limited extent, but it did not improve the growth of control plants. Further, supplemental Mn increased the relative growth rate of salt-stressed plants and this increase was attributed to an increase in the net assimilation rate of salt-stressed plants and not to leaf area ratio. Salt concentration adversely affected the uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus by plants, which resulted in imbalance of nutrients in salt-stressed plants. It appears that factors other than Mn, such as ionic, water- and nutrient-stresses can limit the growth of salt-stressed plants and supplemental Mn has only a limited role in mitigation of adverse effect of salinity.

Acknowledgments

The financial assistance provided by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delhi, India is gratefully acknowledged.