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SALT TOLERANCE OF SALICORNIA UTAHENSIS FROM THE GREAT BASIN DESERT

BILQUEES GUL¹, RAZIUDDIN ANSARI¹ AND M. AJMAL KHAN^1,2*

Abstract: Seed germination of Salicornia utahensis (Tiderstorm) Munz (Chenopodiaceae), a stem-succulent halophyte from the playas of Great Basin Desert, Utah, was reduced to 50% at 300 mM NaCl and few seeds germinated at 900 mM NaCl. Plants grown for 60 days at 0 to 1000 mM NaCl, showed better growth at 400-600 mM NaCl and was similar to control at higher salinities up to 1000 mM. Tissue water content (g g^–1 dry mass) of shoots in 200 to 400 mM NaCl treatments was higher than in nutrient solution controls and equal to control in 1000 mM NaCl.  Water potential was higher than control at 200-600 mM NaCl and there was no significant difference at higher salinity concentrations.  With increasing salinity, Na⁺, Cl^-, NO₃^- generally increased, K⁺ decreased while Ca⁺, Mg⁺ remained almost unchanged.  Stem succulent individuals of S. utahensis in this study showed higher degree of salt tolerance through accumulating large quantities of Na⁺ and Cl^- when treated with 200 to1000 mM NaCl.

¹institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilization, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan

²Institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilization, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan.