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Effects of various mixed salt-alkaline stresses on growth, photosynthesis, and photosynthetic pigment concentrations of Medicago ruthenica seedlings

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Photosynthetica

Abstract

Soil salinization and alkalinization frequently co-occur in naturally saline and alkaline soils. To understand the characteristics of mixed salt-alkali stress and adaptive response of Medicago ruthenica seedlings to salt-alkali stress, water content of shoots, growth and photosynthetic characteristics of seedlings under 30 salt-alkaline combinations (salinity 24–120 mM and pH 7.03–10.32) with mixed salts (NaCl, Na2SO4, NaHCO3, and Na2CO3) were examined. The indices were significantly affected by both salinity and pH. The interactive effects between salt and alkali stresses were significant, except for photosynthetic pigments. Water content of shoots, relative growth rates of shoots and roots and pigment concentrations showed decreasing trends with increasing salinity and alkalinity. The root activity under high alkalinity and salinity treatments gradually decreased, but was stimulated by the combined effects of low alkalinity and salinity. The survival rate decreased with increased salinity, except at pH 7.03–7.26 when all plants survived. Net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and intercellular CO2 concentration decreased with increased salinity and pH. M. ruthenica tolerated the stress of high salt concentration when alkali concentration was low, and the synergistic effects of high alkali and high salt concentrations lead to the death of some or all seedlings. M. ruthenica appeared to be saltalkali tolerant. Reducing the salt concentration or pH based on the salt components in the soil may be helpful to abate damage from mixed salt-alkaline stress.

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Abbreviations

C i :

intercellular CO2 concentration

Car:

carotenoid

Chl:

chlorophyll

DM:

dry mass

FM:

fresh mass

g s :

stomatal conductance

P N :

net photosynthetic rate

PAR:

photosynthetic active radiation

RGR:

relative growth rate

TPF:

triphenylformazan

TTC:

triphenyltetrazolium chloride

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Acknowledgments

The research was financed by the National Key Basic Research Development Program, grant no.2007CB106800 and we also acknowledge Prof. H. Lambers and G.D. Li for the reviewing of the manuscript and the useful suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, Jilin Province, China

    J. Y. Yang, W. Zheng, Y. Tian & Y. Wu

  2. Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130012, Jilin Province, China

    D. W. Zhou

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  1. J. Y. Yang
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Correspondence to D. W. Zhou.

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Yang, J.Y., Zheng, W., Tian, Y. et al. Effects of various mixed salt-alkaline stresses on growth, photosynthesis, and photosynthetic pigment concentrations of Medicago ruthenica seedlings. Photosynthetica 49, 275–284 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-011-0037-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-011-0037-8

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