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Effects of NaCl stress on the growth and photosynthetic characteristics of Ulmus pumila L. seedlings in sand culture

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Photosynthetica

Abstract

The effects of NaCl stress on the growth and photosynthetic characters of Ulmus pumila L. seedlings were investigated under sand culture condition. With increasing NaCl concentration, main stem height, branch number, leaf number, and leaf area declined, while Na+ content and the Na+/K+ ratio in both expanded and expanding leaves increased. Na+ content was significantly higher in expanded leaves than in those just expanding. Chlorophyll (Chl) a and Chl b contents declined as NaCl concentration increased. The net photosynthetic rate, intercellular CO2 concentration, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate also declined, but stomatal limitation value increased as NaCl concentration increased. Both the maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry and the effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry declined as NaCl concentration rose. These results suggest that the accumulation of Na+ in already expanded leaves might reduce damage to the expanding leaves and help U. pumila endure high salinity. The reduced photosynthesis in response to salt stress was mainly caused by stomatal limitation.

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Abbreviations

C a :

ambient CO2 concentration

Chl:

chlorophyll

C i :

intercellular CO2 concentration

DM:

dry mass

E :

transpiration rate

F0 :

minimal fluorescence yield of the dark-adapted state

Fm :

maximal fluorescence yield of the dark-adapted state

Fm′:

maximal fluorescence yield of the light-adapted state

Fs :

steady-state fluorescence yield

Fv :

variable fluorescence

Fv/Fm :

maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry

FM:

fresh mass

g s :

stomatal conductance

LA:

leaf area

Ls :

stomatal limitation value

P N :

net photosynthetic rate

QA :

primary quinone acceptor of PSII

QB :

secondary quinone acceptor of PSII

S0, S100, S200, S300:

treatment with 0, 100, 200, and 300 mM NaCl, respectively

ΦPSII :

effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Research, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China

    Z. T. Feng, Y. Q. Deng, H. Fan, Q. J. Sun, N. Sui & B. S. Wang

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  1. Z. T. Feng
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  2. Y. Q. Deng
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  3. H. Fan
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  4. Q. J. Sun
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  5. N. Sui
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  6. B. S. Wang
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Correspondence to B. S. Wang.

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Acknowledgements: This research was supported by the National Natural Science Research Foundation of China, project No. 30870138 and No. 31070158, and key projects in the national science and technology pillar program during the eleventh five-year plan period (2009BADA7B05).

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Feng, Z.T., Deng, Y.Q., Fan, H. et al. Effects of NaCl stress on the growth and photosynthetic characteristics of Ulmus pumila L. seedlings in sand culture. Photosynthetica 52, 313–320 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-014-0032-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-014-0032-y

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