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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2012, Vol. 21 ›› Issue (5): 32-38.

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Effects of NaCl stress on seed germination of four desert plant species

YANG Jing-ning, WANG Yan-rong   

  1. State key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China
  • Received:2011-05-27 Online:2012-05-25 Published:2012-10-20

Abstract: The seeds of four important desert plants:Haloxylon ammodendron, Reaumuria soongorica, Ceratoides lateens, and Suaeda glauca were collected from the Alashan arid desert, Inner Mongolia. A series of laboratory tests were conducted to study the effects of salt stress on seed germination using NaCl solutions ranging from 0 to 1.8 mol/L, and on germination recovery under optimum conditions after presoaking in NaCl solutions. Germination and radical growth of the four desert plants were subject to different degrees of inhibition with increasing NaCl concentration. In conclusion, the higher the salt concentrations, the greater the inhibitory effects and a slight salt stress improved the germination percentage and index of S. glauca and germination percentage of C. latens. The highest threshold concentrations of NaCl for germination were 1.8 mol/L (H. ammodendron), 0.6 mol/L (R. soongorica), 0.9 mol/L (C. latens), 0.5 mol/L (S. glauca). H. ammodendron therefore had the strongest salt tolerance, and S. glauca the weakest. Under optimum conditions, the seeds presoaked in NaCl solutions could recover their germination capability after the salt stress was relieved. Seeds presoaked for a longer time suffered a greater impact from salt stress, even completel suppression of germination. Presoaking a short time significantly improved germination percentage and index of R. soongorica and also stimulated the radical growth of H. ammodendron, R. soongorica, and C. lateens, but the radical growth of S. glauca was always suppressed by presoaking.

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