ISHS Acta Horticulturae 449: II International Symposium on Irrigation of Horticultural Crops
EFFECTS OF WATER SALINITY ON PLANT GROWTH AND WATER RELATIONS IN SNAP BEAN (PHASEOLUS VULGARIS L.) |
| Authors: | S. De Pascale, G. Barbieri, C. Ruggiero |
| Keywords: | Soil salinity, leaf growth, root growth, water potentials |
| Abstract:
The effects of four salinity levels (0%; 0.25% and 0.5% of NaCl) on leaf and root water status, plant growth and yield of snap bean grown on a clay-loam soil were studied. The 0.5% treatment reduced leaf water potentials. Total water potential showed a more pronounced decrease in the leaves (-1.2 of the 0.5% treatment vs. -0.9 MPa of the control) than in the roots (-0.6 vs. -0.5 MPa). The decrease in leaf osmotic potential was less severe (-1.4 vs. -1.3 MPa) and cuncurrentely the leaf turgor was reduced by 50% as compared to the control. Salinity severely affected plant growth. Root density was reduced by the 0.5% treatment (2.7 vs. 3.7 cm cm-3 of the control). Under severe saline stress both leaf area and total above ground dry weight were reduced by 58%. In snap bean salt stress also significantly limited productivity since the 0.5% treatment decreased pod yield per plant by 85%. The shoot/root ratio was 40% higher in the control, which shows that water salinity in snap bean alters the pattern of dry matter distribution in the plant favouring the roots. | |
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