Abstract
The effects of salinity and nitrogen on growth, ion relations and prolineaccumulation in the monocotyledonous halophyte, Triglochin bulbosa,was investigated in hydroponic culture over 5 months. The experimentaldesign was a 3 × 3 factorial with three salinity treatments (0, 150 and 300 mol m-3 NaCl) and three levels of N (5, 10 and 20 μgml-1 N as NaNO3). Total and root dry biomass accumulationwere significantly affected by salinity, but not by N or N × salinityinteraction. Increase in NaCl from 0 to 150 mol m-3 had no effecton total or root dry biomass, while further increase in salinity to 300mol m-3 significantly reduced biomass by 21% and 25%respectively. Shoot dry biomass, which was significantly affected by N andnot by salinity, increased with increase in N from 5 to 10 μgml-1. Ion concentrations in roots and shoots were significantlyaffected by salinity, but not by N or N × salinity interaction. Theconcentration of Na+ and Cl- in roots and shoots increasedprogressively with an increase in salinity, while that of K+ decreased. Under non-saline conditions, Na+/K+ ratios were low (0.41to 0.44) and increased significantly with an increase in salinity in both rootsand shoots. Shoot sap osmotic potentials decreased progressively with anincrease in salinity. Increase in N in the hydroponic solution from 5 to20 μg ml-1 significantly increased root and shoot N by 66%and 41% respectively. Tissue concentrations of proline were significantlyaffected by salinity and substrate N but not by N × salinity interaction. Theconcentration of proline in roots and shoots increased significantly by334% and 48%, respectively, with an increase in salinity from 0 to 300mol m-3 NaCl. Increase in substrate N from 5 to 20 μg ml-1 significantly increased proline in roots and shoots by 66% and41% respectively. The significance of substrate N on the accumulationof proline is discussed in relation to salt tolerance.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bates, L.S., Waldren, R.P. and Teare, I.D. 1973. Rapid determination of free proline for water stress studies. Plant & Soil 39: 2005-2007.
Binzel, M.L., Hess, F.D., Bressan, R.A. and Hasegawa, P.M. 1988. Intracellular compartmentation of ions in salt adapted tobacco cells. Plant Phys. 86: 607-614.
Cheeseman, J.M. 1988. Mechanisms of salinity tolerance in plants. Plant Phys. 87: 547-550.
Clipson, N.J.W. and Flowers, T.J. 1987. Salt tolerance in the halophyte, Suaeda maritima (L.) Dum. The effect of salinity on the concentration of sodium in the xylem. New Phytol. 105: 359-366.
Cramer, G.R., Lauchli, A. and Epstein, E. 1986. Effects of NaCl and CaCl2 on ion activities in complex nutrient solutions and root growth of cotton. Plant Phys. 1: 792-797.
Delauney, A.J. and Verma, D.P.S. 1993. Proline biosynthesis and osmoregulation in plants. Plant J. 4: 215-223.
Flowers, T.J., Troke, P.F. and Yeo, A.R. 1977. The mechanism of salt tolerance in halophytes. Ann. Rev. Plant Phys. 28: 89-121.
Flowers, T.J. and Yeo, A.R. 1986. Ion relations of plants under drought and salinity. Aust. J. Plant Phys. 13: 293-303.
Gorham, J. and Wyn Jones, R.G. 1983. Solutes distribution in Suaeda maritima. Planta 157: 344-349.
Greenway, H. and Munns, R. 1980. Mechanisms of salt tolerance in non-halophytes. Ann. Rev. Plant Phys. 31: 149-190.
Hajibagheri, M.A., Harvey, D.M.R. and Flowers, T.J. 1987. Quantitative ion distribution within root cells of salt-sensitive and salt-tolerant maize varieties. New Phytol. 105: 367-379.
Handa, S., Bressan, R.A., Handa, A.K., Calpita, N.C. and Hasagawa, P.M. 1983. Solutes contributing to osmotic adjustment in cultured plant cells adapted to water stress. Plant Phys. 73: 834-843.
Hoagland, D.R. and Arnon, D.I. 1950. The water culture method for growing plants without soil. Calif. Agric. Exp. Station Circ. 347: 1-32.
Jefferies, R.L. and Rudmik, T. 1984. The responses of halophytes to salinity: an ecological perspective. In: Staples, R.C. and Toenniessen, G.H. (eds.), Salinity Tolerance in Plants: Strategies for Crop Improvement. pp. 213-227. John Wiley and Sons, New York.
Jefferies, R.L. and Rudmik, T. 1991. Growth, reproduction and resource allocation in halophytes. Aquatic Bot. 39: 3-16.
Köhl, K. 1997. The effect of NaCl on growth, dry matter allocation and ion uptake in saltmarsh and inland populations of Armeria maritima (Mill.) Willd. New Phytol. 135: 213-225.
Levitt, J. 1980. Responses of Plants to Environmental Stresses. Vol. 11. Academic Press, New York.
Matoh, T., Watanabe, J. and Takahashi, E. 1987. Sodium, potassium, chloride and betaine concentrations in isolated vacuoles from salt-grown Atriplex gmelini leaves. Plant Phys. 84: 173-177.
Munns, R., Greenway, N. and Kirst, G.O. 1983. Halotolerant Eukaryotes. In: Lange, O.L., Nobel, Osmond, P.S. and Ziegler, H. (eds.), Physiological Plant Ecology II. Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology. N.D. 136, pp. 59-135. Springer, Berlin.
Munns, R. 1993. Physiological processes limiting plant growth in saline soils: some dogmas and hypotheses. Plant, Cell & Env. 16: 15-24.
Naidoo, G. 1994. Growth, water and ion relationships in the coastal halophytes Triglochin bulbosa and T. striata. Env. & Exp. Bot. 34: 419-426.
Neumann, P. 1997. Salinity resistance and plant growth revisted. Plant Cell & Env. 20: 1193-1198.
Pérez-Alfocea, F. and Larher, F. 1995. Effects of phlorizin and p-chloromercuribenzene-sulfonic acid on sucrose and proline accumulation in detached tomato leaves submitted to NaCl and osmotic stresses. J. Plant Phys. 145: 367-373.
Pollard, A. and Wyn Jones, R.G. 1979. Enzyme activities in concentrated solutions of glycinebetaine and other solutes. Planta 144: 291-298.
Rhodes, D., Handa, S. and Bressan, R.A. 1986. Metabolic changes associated with adaptation of plant cells to water stress. Plant Phys. 82: 890-903.
Rozema, J. 1991. Growth, water and ion relationships of halophytic monocotyledonae and dicotyledonae; a unified concept. Aquatic Bot. 39: 17-33.
Saradhi, P.P., Arora, S. and Prasad, K.V.S.K. 1995. Proline accumulates in plants exposed to UV radiation and protects them against induced peroxidation. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 290: 1-5.
Smirnoff, N. and Cumbes, Q.J. 1989. Hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of compatible solutes. Photochemistry 28: 1057-1060.
Valiela, I. and Teal, J.M. 1974. Nutrient limitation in salt marsh vegetation. In: Reimold, R.J. and Queen, W.H. (eds.), Ecology of Halophytes. pp. 547-563. Academic Press, New York.
Voetberg, G.S. and Sharp, R.E. 1991. Growth of the maize primary root at low water potentials III. Role of increased proline deposition in osmotic adjustment. Plant Phys. 96: 1125-1130.
Wyn Jones, R.G. 1981. Salt tolerance. In: Johnson, C.B. (ed.), Physiological Processes Limiting Plant Productivity. pp. 271-292. Butterworth, London.
Yeo, A.R. 1983. Salinity resistance: Physiologies and prices. Plant Phys. 58: 214-222.
Yoshiba, Y., Kiyosue, T., Nakashima, K., Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, K. and Shinozaki, K. 1997. Regulation of levels of proline as an osmolyte in plants under water stress. Plant Cell Phys. 38: 1095-1102.
Zimmerman, U. 1978. Physics of turgor and osmo-regulation. Ann. Rev. Plant Phys. 29: 121-148.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Naidoo, G., Naidoo, Y. Effects of salinity and nitrogen on growth, ion relations and proline accumulation in Triglochin bulbosa . Wetlands Ecology and Management 9, 491–497 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012284712636
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012284712636