International Journal of
Plant Physiology and Biochemistry

  • Abbreviation: Int. J. Plant Physiol. Biochem.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2141-2162
  • DOI: 10.5897/IJPPB
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 113

Full Length Research Paper

Effects of salinity stress on growth in relation to gas exchanges parameters and water status in amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus)

Christophe Bernard Gandonou
  • Christophe Bernard Gandonou
  • Unité de Recherche sur l’Adaptation des Plantes aux Stress Abiotiques, les Métabolites Secondaires et l’Amélioration des Productions Végétales, Laboratoire de Physiologie Végétale et d’Etude des Stress Environnementaux, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques (FAST/UAC), 01BP526, Tri Postal, Cotonou, République du Bénin.
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Hermann Prodjinoto
  • Hermann Prodjinoto
  • Unité de Recherche sur l’Adaptation des Plantes aux Stress Abiotiques, les Métabolites Secondaires et l’Amélioration des Productions Végétales, Laboratoire de Physiologie Végétale et d’Etude des Stress Environnementaux, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques (FAST/UAC), 01BP526, Tri Postal, Cotonou, République du Bénin.
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Séraphin Ahissou Zanklan
  • Séraphin Ahissou Zanklan
  • Unité de Recherche sur l’Adaptation des Plantes aux Stress Abiotiques, les Métabolites Secondaires et l’Amélioration des Productions Végétales, Laboratoire de Physiologie Végétale et d’Etude des Stress Environnementaux, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques (FAST/UAC), 01BP526, Tri Postal, Cotonou, République du Bénin.
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Agapit Dossou Wouyou
  • Agapit Dossou Wouyou
  • Unité de Recherche sur l’Adaptation des Plantes aux Stress Abiotiques, les Métabolites Secondaires et l’Amélioration des Productions Végétales, Laboratoire de Physiologie Végétale et d’Etude des Stress Environnementaux, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques (FAST/UAC), 01BP526, Tri Postal, Cotonou, République du Bénin.
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Stanley Lutts
  • Stanley Lutts
  • Groupe de Recherche en Physiologie Végétale, ELI-A, Bâtiment Croix du Sud, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgique.
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David Hambada Montcho
  • David Hambada Montcho
  • Ecole de Gestion de la Production Végétale et Semencière, Université Nationale d’Agriculture, Kétou, République du Bénin.
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Françoise Assogba Komlan
  • Françoise Assogba Komlan
  • Centre de Recherches Agricoles sur les Plantes Pérennes, Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin, INRAB, Abomey-Calavi, Bénin.
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Armel Clément Goudjo Mensah
  • Armel Clément Goudjo Mensah
  • Centre de Recherches Agricoles sur les Plantes Pérennes, Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin, INRAB, Abomey-Calavi, Bénin.
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  •  Received: 11 July 2018
  •  Accepted: 09 August 2018
  •  Published: 31 August 2018

Abstract

Salinity is a major detrimental abiotic factor for plant growth. The main purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of different NaCl concentrations on growth and some physiological parameters related to gas exchanges and water relations in amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus) plants. Three weeks old amaranth plants from the cultivar ‘Locale’ were exposed in nutrient solution to 0, 30 or 90 mM NaCl (electrical conductivities of 1.915; 4.815 and 11.70 dS.m-1 respectively) in phytotron conditions. Shoot elongation as well as fresh and dry masses of shoot and root were determined after two weeks of stress exposure. Net photosynthesis (A), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), instantaneous transpiration (E), stomatal conductance (gs), osmotic potential (Ψs) as well as the efficiency of the instantaneous carboxylation (A/Ci), intrinsic (A/gs) and instantaneous (A/E) water use efficiency were estimated. Results reveal that salt stress induced a significant reduction in growth of aerial part as well as net photosynthesis, instantaneous transpiration, stomatal conductance and leaf and root osmotic potentials. In contrast, no significant reductions were recorded for root growth, shoot water content, intercellular CO2 concentration and instantaneous carboxylation efficiency. However, a significant increase was observed for intrinsic (A/gs) and instantaneous (A/E) water use efficiency. The plant growth reduction observed hinges upon a drop in photosynthetic activity due mainly to stomatal closure. These data suggest that photosynthetic activity may be used as a reliable criterion for physiological estimation of salt-tolerance in A. cruentus cultivars.

 

Key words:  Saline stress, net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, osmotic potential, water use efficiency.