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Effect of salinity stress on growth and macroelements uptake of four tree species

2008; Bogucki Wydawnictwo Naukowe; Volume: 59; Issue: 59 Linguagem: Inglês

2083-8387

A. Marosz, J. Nowak,

Plant Stress Responses and Tolerance

Woody plants grown near the roads are force-fed by salt and this has negative effect on their growth and decorative value. The aim of the presented study was to investigate the effects of salinity on growth and nutrient composition of four trees species often planted along the roads and streets in Poland. Two years old seedlings (bare root) of four tree species: Acer negundo, A. platanoides, Quercus robur and Tilia cordata were pot- ted and grown outside under four soil salinity levels maintained by drenching plants with tap water contain- ing 0.25, 0.5, 1.5, and3.3g NaCl/L H 2O. Plant height, soil samples for electrical conductivity (EC) and pH de- termination as well as leaf samples for macroelements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) content evaluation were collectedaf- ter each growing season of two years of experiment. Electrical conductivity of the growing medium varied in- significantly between species, but salt concentration in the growing medium was distinctly higher in the up- per than in the bottom part. Soil salinity hadstrong but variable effect on plant growth during the experiment. Only Acer negundo growth was not affectedeven by the highest concentration of NaCl solution. With increas - ing salinity of growing medium more Na + was taken by all species but the biggest amount of sodium ions was accumulatedin the leaves of Tilia cordata, while the lowest in Acer negundo. Than potassium ions content de- creasedwith increasing medium salinity only in the leaves of Quercus robur and Tilia cordata. In the leaves of Acer platanoides and Tilia cordata calcium concentration was decreased at increased salinity, in two other tested species amount of Ca 2+ in the leaves was elevated. The main conclusion that can be drown is that Acer negundo is highly tolerant to salinity stress while Acer platanoides was the most sensitive among tested species