biologia plantarum

Biologia plantarum 39:373-380, 1997 | DOI: 10.1023/A:1001013913773

Effects of short-term NaCl stress on water relations and gas exchange of two jute species

K. Chaudhuri¹, M.A. Choudhuri¹

¹ Plant Physiology and Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Botany, Burdwan University, Burdwan, India

Thirty-day-old seedlings of two jute species (Corchorus capsularis L. cv. JRC 212 and C. olitorius L. cv. JRO 632) were subjected to short-term salinity stress (160 and 200 mM NaCl for 1 and 2 d). Relative water content, leaf water potential, water uptake, transpiration rate, water retention, stomatal conductance, net photosynthetic rate and water use efficiency of both jute species decreased due to salinity stress. The decrease was greater in C. olitorius than in C. capsularis and with higher magnitude of stress. Greater accumulation of Na+ and Cl- and a lower ratio of K+/Na+ in the root and shoot of C. olitorius compared with C. capsularis were also recorded. Pretreatment of seedlings with kinetin (0.09 mM), glutamic acid (4 mM) and calcium nitrate (5 mM) for 24 h significantly improved net photosynthesis, transpiration and water use efficiency of salinity stressed plants, the effect being more marked in C. olitorius. Among the pre-treatment chemicals, calcium nitrate was most effective.

Keywords: ion accumulation; leaf water potential; net photosynthetic rate; relative water content; stomatal conductance; transpiration rate; water use efficiency

Subjects: Corchorus capsularis; Corchorus olitorius; ion accumulation, short-term NaCl stress; jute, short-term NaCl stress; NaCl stress, short term, gas exchange, water relations; net photosynthetic rate, short-term NaCl stress; relative water content, short-term NaCl stress; stomatal conductance, short-term NaCl stress; transpiration, short-term NaCl stress; water potential, leaf, short-term NaCl stress; water use efficiency, short-term NaCl stress

Published: November 1, 1997  Show citation