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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2013, Vol. 22 ›› Issue (2): 219-226.

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Physiological responses of Ocimum basilicum to seawater stress

NING Jian-feng1,2, ZOU Xian-zhong1, YANG Shao-hai1, SUN Li-li1, LUO Wen-jian1, CHEN Yong1, WU Jin-long1,WEI Lan1   

  1. 1.Soil and Fertilizer Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer in South Region, Ministry of Agriculture, Guangzhou 510640, China;
    2.College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
  • Received:2012-04-18 Online:2013-02-25 Published:2013-04-20

Abstract: Basil (Ocimum basilicum) seedlings were subjected to 0, 5%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% seawater under netting house conditions. Increasing seawater concentration led to considerable reduction in plant growth rate and dry mass accumulation. However, root growth was not affected even by treatment with 30% seawater. High salinity (30% and 40% seawater) caused significant increases of soluble sugar and proline contents as well as leaf water use efficiency, whereas photosynthesis was inhibited mainly due to stomatal restriction. Accumulation of Na+ was correlated with a decline of Ca2+ and K+ in stems, roots or both. However, contents of K+ and Ca2+ in leaves increased or remained relatively unchanged with increasing salt levels. In plants stressed by salinity, Na+ were partitioned mainly in roots (57.1%-64.6% of the total) and more than 50% of the K+ and Ca2+ were stored in leaves. In addition, seawater stress decreased the K+/Na+ and Ca2+/Na+ in this species, although the higher K+/Na+ and Ca2+/Na+ were observed in leaves rather than in roots and stems. The K+/Na+ was greater than three even when subjected to 40% seawater. These results suggest that salt tolerance of basil plants might be associated with the compartmentalisation of Na+ in roots and the balance of K+, Na+ and Ca2+ in leaves as well as the osmotic adjustment with soluble sugar and proline under conditions of high salinity.

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