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Effects of NaCl on growth, water status, N2 fixation, and ion distribution in Pterocarpus officinalis seedlings

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Abstract

Pterocarpus officinalis (Fabaceae) dominates in the swamp forests of the Lesser Antilles, submitted to strong variations of soil salinity (30–445 mM). This study aimed to assess the effect of salinity on growth, nodulation, N2 fixation, water status and ions content in P. officinalis and to clarify the mechanisms involved. Seedlings inoculated or not with two strains from areas of contrasting salinity levels (< to 50 or 445 mM) were watered with 0, 171 and 342 mM solutions of NaCl in greenhouse conditions. Non-inoculated seedlings were tolerant to a salinity of 171 mM, with no significant effect on seedling biomass. Evapotranspiration per unit of leaf area (E/TLa) remained unchanged at 171 mM. Maintenance of a constant E/TLa and especially the control of ion transport to the upper parts of the plant could explain seedling salt tolerance up to intermediate salinity conditions (171 mM). The two strains have a 99.8% genetic identity in spite of differences in their original habitats, this explaining the similar response of the symbiosis to salinity. The higher salt sensitivity of inoculated seedlings was linked to the sensitivity of both Bradyrhizobium strains (reduction of free-living cells) and to that of the nodulation process (fewer nodules and inhibition of N2-fixation) to intermediate salinity.

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Acknowledgments

We thank GIS ECOFOR, the Ministère de l’Ecologie et du Développement Durable (grant n° 020000118), and the Conseil Général de la Guadeloupe for financially supporting the postdoctoral fellowship of M. Dulormne. The authors are also grateful to Sandrine Durimel and Lydia Saint-Etienne for their technical help as well as to INRA Guadeloupe, in particular its Caribbean Zone Agropedoclimatic Unit (INRA Guadeloupe), for generously providing the equipment. The authors are greatly indebted to Dr. Marc Chillet (CIRAD FLHOR, Guadeloupe) for providing access to gas chromatography facilities and to Dr. Alain Rousteau (UAG) for his help in the field and his comments on the manuscript. We gratefully thank Anya Cockle-Bétian for improving the English and the anonymous reviewers for her relevant comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. EA 926 DYNECAR, Université des Antilles et de la Guyane, UFR des Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, BP. 592, 97159, Pointe-à-Pitre, Cedex, Guadeloupe (F.W.I.), France

    Maguy Dulormne & Olivia Musseau

  2. UMR-CNRS 7138, Systématique-Adaptation-Evolution, Equipe “Symbiose”, UFR des Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, Département de Biologie, Université des Antilles et de la Guyane, B.P. 592, 97159, Pointe-à-Pitre Cedex, Guadeloupe, France

    Félix Muller

  3. INRA Antilles Guyane, Unité de recherche en production végétale, Laboratoire de mycologie-flore pathogène du sol, Domaine Duclos, 97170, Petit Bourg, Guadeloupe, France

    Armel Toribio

  4. LSTM-UMR 113, Université des Antilles et de la Guyane, UFR des Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, B.P. 592, 97159, Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe (F.W.I.), France

    Amadou Bâ

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  1. Maguy Dulormne
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  2. Olivia Musseau
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Correspondence to Maguy Dulormne.

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John McPherson Cheeseman.

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Dulormne, M., Musseau, O., Muller, F. et al. Effects of NaCl on growth, water status, N2 fixation, and ion distribution in Pterocarpus officinalis seedlings. Plant Soil 327, 23–34 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-009-0066-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-009-0066-2

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