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Effects of 5-aminolevulinic acid on Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L. subsp. cicla) seedling growth under saline conditions

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Abstract

Salinity is a widespread adverse environmental problem globally, and significantly limits crop production. In this study, the possibility of enhancing salinity stress tolerance of Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L. var. cicla) by 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) foliar application was investigated. The Swiss chard plants were grown in hydroponic culture. Twelve-week-old uniform seedlings were treated by 0 and 40 mM saline regimes generated by the mixture of sodium chloride and sodium sulfate (molar ratio NaCl:Na2SO4 = 9:1), and were foliar-sprayed with 0 and 60 μM L−1 ALA (every 3 days) for 6 days; then the plants were treated for another 7 days (every 3 day) with increased concentration of salinity and ALA, 80 mM and 120 μM L−1. Salinity without ALA application significantly decreased plant growth [43 % in shoot dry weight (DW), 21 % in root DW, 24 % in relative growth rate (RGR), 43 % in leaf area (LA)], water uptake [20.8 % in relative water content (RWC), 47.9 % in osmotic potential (OP)], chlorophyll (Chl) a content (10 %), Pn (36 %), Gs (72 %) and Tr (59 %) compared with those in control plants; however, under saline conditions, ALA foliar application improved plant growth (49.7 % in shoot DW, 27 % in root DW, 42.3 % in RGR, 72.1 % in LA) and increased RWC (12 %), Chl a content (10 %) and photosynthetic parameters (27 % in Pn, 28 % in Gs, 14 % in Tr) compared with those in untreated plants. Salinity significantly increased Na+ content, resulting in the reduction of Mg2+ and K+ contents. ALA foliar application alleviated ionic toxicity through the reduction of Na+ content and Na+/K+ ratio. On the other hand, it increased total nitrogen and glycine betaine (GB) content. ALA foliar application slightly reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) content, indicating that ALA has the potential to alleviate oxidative stress in salinity-stressed Swiss chard.

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Abbreviations

ALA:

5-Aminolevulinic acid

RGR:

Relative growth rate

Pn :

Apparent photosynthetic rate

Tr :

Transpiration rate

Gs :

Stomatal conductance

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

DW:

Dry weight

Chl:

Chlorophyll

RWC:

Relative water content

GB:

Glycine betaine

OP:

Osmotic potential

LA:

Leaf area

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, 1-4-4 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8528, Japan

    Liyun Liu, Akihiro Ueda & Hirofumi Saneoka

  2. Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada

    Nguyen Tran Nguyen

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  1. Liyun Liu
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  2. Nguyen Tran Nguyen
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  3. Akihiro Ueda
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  4. Hirofumi Saneoka
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Correspondence to Hirofumi Saneoka.

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Liu, L., Nguyen, N.T., Ueda, A. et al. Effects of 5-aminolevulinic acid on Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L. subsp. cicla) seedling growth under saline conditions. Plant Growth Regul 74, 219–228 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-014-9913-0

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