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Leaf gas exchange, water relations, nutrient content and growth in citrus and olive seedlings under salinity

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:
Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

The effects of salinity on growth, leaf nutrient content, water relations, gas exchange parameters and chlorophyll fluorescence were studied in six-month-old seedlings of citrus (Citrus limonia Osbeck) and rooted cuttings of olive (Olea europaea L. cv. Arbequina). Citrus and olive were grown in a greenhouse and watered with half strength Hoagland’s solution plus 0 or 50 mM NaCl for citrus, or plus 0 or 100 mM NaCl for olive. Salinity increased Cl− and Na+ content in leaves and roots in both species and reduced total plant dry mass, net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance. Decreased growth and gas exchange was apparently due to a toxic effect of Cl− and/or Na+ and not due to osmotic stress since both species were able to osmotically adjust to maintain pressure potential higher than in non-salinized leaves. Internal CO2 concentration in the mesophyll was not reduced in either species. Salinity decreased leaf chlorophyll a content only in citrus.

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Abbreviations

Chl:

chlorophyll

ci :

internal CO2 concentration

E:

leaf transpiration rate

Ewp :

whole plant transpiration rate

Fm :

maximum fluorescence of dark-acclimated leaves

F0 :

minimum fluorescence of dark-acclimated leaves

Fv/Fm :

maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem 2

gs :

stomatal conductance

LDM/area:

leaf dry mass to area ratio

PN :

net photosynthetic rate

S/R:

shoot to root ratio

TPDM:

total plant dry mass

WUE:

water use efficiency

Φ:

effective quantum yield

ΨP :

pressure potential

ΨS :

osmotic potential

ΨW :

water potential

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departmento de Agronomía, Universidad de Córdoba, Edificio Celestino Mutis, Ctra. Madrid-Cádiz km. 396, E-14071, Córdoba, Spain

    J. C. Melgar

  2. UF/IFAS, Citrus Research and Education Center, 700 Experiment Station Road, Lake Alfred, FL, 33850, USA

    J. P. Syvertsen

  3. Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura, CSIC, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, Espinardo, E-30100, Murcia, Spain

    V. Martínez & F. García-Sánchez

Authors
  1. J. C. Melgar
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  2. J. P. Syvertsen
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  3. V. Martínez
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  4. F. García-Sánchez
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Correspondence to F. García-Sánchez.

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Melgar, J.C., Syvertsen, J.P., Martínez, V. et al. Leaf gas exchange, water relations, nutrient content and growth in citrus and olive seedlings under salinity. Biol Plant 52, 385–390 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-008-0081-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-008-0081-9

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