Summary
Increased potassium (K) fertilization of saline soils has been implicated in alleviating salt stress in plants. We examined whether varying K concentrations in Murashige & Skoog (MS: 1962) basal medium could affect salt (NaCl) stress in micropropagated potatoes. Plantlets of cvs Sierra and Russet Burbank were evaluated after 1 month of growth in a medium containing 0. 40, or 80 mM NaCl and 6,20, or 30 mMK. The medium K was adjusted using KNO3 while total nitrogen was kept constant using NH4NO3. Growth parameters were less affected in Sierra than Russet Burbank, and roots were less affected than shoots, as the medium salinity increased. Tissue Na levels were greater when the medium K was 6 mM compared with 20 mM MS control. The medium K concentration 50% greater than MS control did not promote growth and did not limit tissue Na levels. While this should be confirmed by field assessment, our results suggest that while K deficiency promotes salt damage, its addition beyond the usual fertilizer recommendations is not beneficial in alleviating salinity stress.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abdulnour, J.E., D.J. Donnelly & N.N. Barthakur, 1998a. Enhanced calcium uptake in micropropagated potato plantlets by macroelements dilution.Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 161:81–85.
Abdulnour, J.E., D.J. Donnelly & N.N. Barthakur, 1998b. Cation and total macroelement concentrations influence Ca uptake in micropropagated potato plantlets.Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 161:613–617.
Al-Rawahy, S.A., J.L. Stroehlein & M. Pessaraki, 1992. Dry-matter yield and nitrogen-15, Na+, Cl−, and K+ content of tomatoes under sodium chloride stress.Journal of Plant Nutrition 15:341–358.
Christiansen, M.N., 1982. World environmental limitations to food and fiber culture. In: M.N. Christiansen & C.F. Lewis (Eds), Breeding plants for less favourable environments. John Wiley and sons, New York, pp. 1–12.
Garcia, M. & T. Charbaji, 1993. Effect of sodium chloride salinity on cation equilibria ingrapevine.Journal of Plant Nutrition 16:2225–2237.
Jaenicke, H., H.S. Lips & W.R. Ullrich, 1996. Growth, ion distribution and nitrate uptake ofLeucaena leucocephala, and effects on NaCl.Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 34:743–751.
Jeschke, W.D. & H. Nassery, 1981. K+−Na+ selectivity in roots ofTriticum, Helianthus andAllium.Physiologia Plantarum 52:217–224.
Khrais, T., Y. Leclerc & D.J. Donnelly, 1998. Relative salinity tolerance of potato cultivars assessed by in vitro screening.American Journal of Potato Research 75:207–210.
Lazof, D. & J.M. Cheeseman, 1988. Sodium and potassium compartmentation and trasport across the roots of intactSpergularia marina.Plant Physiology 88:1274–1278.
Levitt, J., 1977. Salt and ion stress. In: T.T. Kuzlowsky (Ed.), Responses of plants to environmental stresses. Academic Press, New York, pp. 506–524.
Maas, E.V. & G.J. Hoffman, 1977. Crop salt tolerance-current assessment.Journal of Irrigation and Drainage 103:115–134.
Murashige, T. & F. Skoog, 1962. A revised medium for rapid growth and bioassays with tobacco tissue cultures.Physiologia Plantarum 15:473–497.
SAS, 1989. SAS/STAT User's Guide, Version 6, 4th ed. Volume 1 SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA.
Silberbush, M. & S.H. Lips, 1991. Potassium, nitrogen, ammonium/nitrate ratio, and sodium chloride effects on wheat growth. II. Tillering and grain yield.Journal of Plant Nutrition 14:765–773.
Song, J.Q. & H. Fujiyama, 1996. Ameliorative effect of potassium on rice and tomato subjected to sodium salinisation.Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 42:493–501.
Thomas, R.L., R.W. Sheard & J.R. Moyer, 1967. Comparison of conventional and automated procedures for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium analysis of plant material using a single digestion.Agronomy Journal 59:240–243.
Wu, S.J., L. Ding & J.K. Zhu, 1996. SOS1, a genetic locus essential for salt tolerance and potassium acquisition.The Plant Cell 8:617–627.
Zhang, Y. & D. Donnelly, 1997. In vitro bioassays for salinity tolerance screening of potato.Potato Research 40:285–295.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Alhagdow, M.M., Barthakur, N.N. & Donnelly, D.J. Salinity stress and sodium-potassium interactions in micropropagated potatoes. Potato Res 42, 73–78 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02358392
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02358392