PJB-2008-87
GROWTH AND IONIC COMPOSITION OF SALT-STRESSED EUCALYPTUS CAMALDULENSIS AND EUCALYPTUS TERETICORNIS
MUHAMMAD NASIM1*, RIAZ H. QURESHI2, TARIQ AZIZ1, M. SAQIB2, SHAFQAT NAWAZ1, SHAHBAZ TALIB SAHI1 AND SHAHID PERVAIZ2
Abstract
The effect of NaCl salinity on growth, biomass and ionic composition of Eucalyptus camaldulensis and E. tereticornis was studied in a nutrient solution experiment. Species were grown with control (no NaCl) and 150 mol m-3 NaCl salinity in Hoagland nutrient solution. Salinity significantly suppressed plant height, shoot and root fresh biomass in both the species. However, degree of reduction in these growth parameters was significantly different among both species. Relative fresh weight of E. camaldulensis under salt stress was significantly more than of E. tereticornis. Salinity stress caused significant effect on Na, K and Cl uptake and its distribution within mature and young leaves. Sodium concentration was about 4.5 folds higher in plants grown with salinity than those grown without salinity. Potassium concentration was significantly decreased in both eucalyptus species under salinity stress. However, salt induced reduction in K concentration was significantly lower in E. camaldulensis. Based on the relative fresh weight, K:Na ratio, ion distribution in young and mature leaves, E. camaldulensis exhibited more tolerance against salinity than E. tereticornis.
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