Register      Login
Crop and Pasture Science Crop and Pasture Science Society
Plant sciences, sustainable farming systems and food quality
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Growth, chemical composition, and carbon isotope discrimination of pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) rootstock seedlings in response to salinity

H. Hokmabadi A , K. Arzani A C and P. F. Grierson B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modarres University (TMU), PO Box 14155-336 Tehran, Iran.

B Ecosystems Research Group, School of Plant Biology MO90, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: arzani_k@modares.ac.ir

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 56(2) 135-144 https://doi.org/10.1071/AR04088
Submitted: 20 April 2004  Accepted: 7 January 2005   Published: 28 February 2005

Abstract

Pistachio is considered a potential crop for many semi-arid regions affected by salinisation. We examined the effects of salinity on growth of 3 pistachio rootstocks: Badami-e-zarand, Sarakhs, and Ghazvini. Rootstocks were grown in soil in 8-L polyethylene pots and irrigated every 3 days with treatments of 0, 75, 150, or 225 mm NaCl. We measured above-ground biomass, allocation of C to root systems and foliage, and carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) and proline accumulation after 30 days and again after 60 days. Relative growth rate (RGR) decreased with time for all treatments and rootstocks. RGR and net assimilation rates (NARw) decreased with increasing salinity. In all rootstocks, NARw, but not leaf weight ratio (LWR), was significantly correlated with RGR, indicating that NARw was an important factor underlying growth responses among rootstocks. Increased salinity did not affect leaf water potential (Ψleaf), even though proline concentrations increased with increasing NaCl concentration, particularly in the Ghazvini rootstocks. Both Cl and Na+ concentrations in leaves increased from 30 to 60 days but not in roots and stems. The Sarakhs rootstocks accumulated more of Cl and Na+ compared with other rootstocks. K+ concentration in the roots and stems of all rootstocks also decreased with increasing salinity at both 30 and 60 days. Concentrations of Ca2+ in stems and root systems, but not in leaves, were also reduced by increased salinity in all rootstocks but only after 60 days. Carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) decreased with increased salinity in the leaves, stems, and roots; however, there was no significant difference in carbon isotope discrimination among rootstocks. We conclude that the Ghazvini rootstock was the most salt tolerant among the rootstocks tested. Carbon isotope discrimination in pistachio rootstocks may be a useful indicator of cumulative salinity history of the plant but is not a suitable indicator for pre-screening of pistachio rootstocks for salinity resistance.

Additional keywords: proline, relative growth rate (RGR), NaCl, δ13C, mineral nutrition, salinity resistance, root growth.


Acknowledgments

We thank the University of Tarbiat Modarres (TMU) of Iran for providing facilities. In addition, thanks are due to the Ecosystem Research Group (ERG) and the West Australian Biogeochemistry Centre (WABC) at the University of Western Australia for providing facilities and technical assistance for analysing samples for carbon isotope discrimination. Also thanks to the Irrigation and Nutrition Department of the Pistachio Research Institute (PRI) of Iran and Kate Bowler at the University of Western Australia for their help in nutrient analysis. We are highly indebted to Prof. L. Ferguson, University of California, Davis, USA, Dr Y. Dehghani-Shuraki of the Forest Research Institute of Iran, and Dr B. Panahi of the Pistachio Research Institute (PRI) of Iran for their helpful comments on the experiment and manuscript.


References


Alkhani H, Ghorbani M (1992) A contribution to the halophytic vegetation and flora of Iran. ‘Towards the rational use of high salinity tolerance plants’. Vol. 1 pp. 35–44., (Kluwer Academic Publ.: Dordrecht, The Netherlands)

Ansari R, Naqvi SS, Khanzada AN, Hubick KT (1998) Carbon-isotope discrimination in wheat under saline conditions. Pakistan Journal of Botany 30, 87–93. open url image1

Behboudian MH, Walker RR, Torokfaivy E (1986) Effects of water stress and salinity on photosynthesis of pistachio. Scientia Horticulturae 29, 251–261.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Cameron RWF, Harrison-Murray RS, Scott MA (1999) The use of controlled water stress to manipulate growth of container grown Rhododendron cv. Hoppy. The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology 74, 161–169. open url image1

Delauney AJ, Verma DS (1993) Proline biosynthesis and osmoregulation in plants. The Plant Journal 4, 215–223.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Farquhar GD, Ehleringer JR, Hubick KT (1989) Carbon isotope discrimination and photosynthesis. Annual Review of Plant Physiology 40, 503–537.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Ferguson L, Poss JA, Grattan SR, Grieve CM, Wang D, Wilson C, Donovan Chao CT (2002) Pistachio rootstocks influence scion growth and ion relations under salinity and boron stress. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 127, 194–199. open url image1

Francey RJ, Gifford RM, Sharkey TD, Weir B (1985) Physiological influences on carbon isotope discrimination in huon pine (Lagarostrobos franklinii). Oecologia 66, 211–218. open url image1

Freed, R , Eisensmith, SP , Goetz, S , Reicosky, D , Smail, VW ,  and  Wolberg, P (1991). ‘User's Guide to MSTATC: A software program for the design, management, and analysis of agronomic research experiments.’ (Michigan State University: East Lancing, MI)

Grattan SR, Grieve CM (1999) Salinity–mineral nutrition relation in horticultural crops. Scientia Horticulturae 78, 127–157.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Hanson AD, Hitz WD (1982) Metabolic responses of mesophytes to plant water deficits. Annual Review of Plant Physiology 33, 163–203.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Hasegawa PM, Bressan RA, Zhu J-K, Bohnert HJ (2000) Plant cellular and molecular responses to high salinity. Annual Review of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology 51, 463–499.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Hobbie EA, Werner RA (2004) Intramolecular, compound-specific, and bulk carbon isotope patterns in C3 and C4 plants: a review and synthesis. New Phytologist 161, 371–385.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Irigoyen JJ, Emerich DW, Sanchez-Dias M (1992) Water stress induced changes in concentrations of proline and total soluble sugars in nodulated alfalfa (Medicago sativa) plants. Plant Physiology 84, 55–60.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Kent LM, Lauchli A (1985) Germination and seedling growth of cotton: salinity–calcium interactions. Plant, Cell and Environment 8, 155–159. open url image1

Khedr AHA, Abbas MA, Wahid AAA, Quick WP, Abogadallah GM (2003) Proline induces the expression of salt-stress-responsive proteins and may improve the adaptation of Pancratium maritinum L. to salt-stress. Journal of Experimental Botany 54, 2553–2562.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Kumar SG, Reddy AM, Sudhakar C (2003) NaCl effects on proline metabolism in two high yielding genotypes of mulberry (Morus alba L.) with contrasting salt tolerance. Plant Science 165, 1245–1251.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Leavitt SW, Long A (1982) Evidence for C13/C12 fractionation between tree leaves and wood. Nature 298, 742–743.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Mackie-Dawson LA, Atkinson D (1991) Methodology for the study of roots in field experiments and the interpretation of results. ‘Plant root growth. An ecological perspective’. (Ed. D Atkinson) pp. 25–47. (Blackwell Scientific Publ.: Melbourne, Vic.)

Marschner, H (1986). ‘Mineral nutrition of higher plants.’ (Academic Press: London, UK)

Mass, EV (1990). Crop salt tolerance (Report No. 71, American Society of Civil Engineers: VA). In ‘Agricultural salinity assessment and management’. pp. 262–304. (University of New South Wales Press: Sydney, NSW)

Morris K, Ganf GG (2001) The response of an emergent sedge Bolboschoenus medianus to salinity and nutrients. Aquatic Botany 70, 311–328.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Munns R, Husain S, Rivelli AR, James RA, Condon AG, Lindsay MP, Lagudah ES, Schachtman DP, Hare RA (2002) Avenues for increasing salt tolerance of crops, and the role of physiologically based selection traits. Plant and Soil 247, 93–105.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Picchioni GA, Miyamota S (1990) Salt effects on growth and ion uptake of pistachio rootstock seedlings. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 115, 647–653. open url image1

Poorter, H (1989). Interspecific variation in relative growth rate: on ecological causes and physiological consequences. In ‘Causes and consequences of variation in growth rate and productivity of higher plants’. pp. 45–68. (Academic Publishing: The Hague, The Netherlands)

Poss JA, Grattan SR, Suarez CM, Grieve CM (2000a) Stable carbon isotope discrimination: an indicator of cumulative salinity and boron stress in Eucalyptus camaldulensis. Tree Physiology 20, 1121–1127.
PubMed |
open url image1

Poss JA, Suarez CM, Grieve CM, Shannon MC, Grattan SR (2000b) Carbon isotope discrimination and transpiration efficiency in eucalyptus under salinity and boron stress. Acta Horticulturae 537, 215–222. open url image1

Ranjbar A, van Damme P, Samson R, Lemeur R (2002) Leaf water status and photosynthetic gas exchange of Pistacia khinjuk and P. mutica exposed to osmotic drought stress. Acta Horticulturae 591, 423–428. open url image1

Ruiz D, Martinez V, Antonio C (1997) Citrus response to salinity: growth and nutrient uptake. Tree Physiology 17, 141–150.
PubMed |
open url image1

Seemann JR, Critchley C (1985) Effects of salt stress on growth, ion content, stomatal behaviour and photosynthetic capacity of a salt-sensitive species, Phaseolus vulgaris L. Planta 164, 151–162.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Sepaskhah AR, Maftoun M (1981) Growth and chemical composition of pistachio seedlings as influenced by irrigation regimes and salinity levels of irrigation water: I. Growth. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 57, 469–476. open url image1

Stewart, GR ,  and  Larher, F (1980). Accumulation of amino acids and related compounds in relation to environmental stress. In ‘The biochemistry of plants’. Vol. 5, pp. 609–635. (Academic Press: New York)

Taylor CB (1996) Proline and water deficit: ups and downs. Plant Cell 8, 1221–1224.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Walker RR, Torokfalvy E, Behboudian MH (1988) Photosynthetic rates and solute partitioning in relation to growth of salt-treated pistachio plants [Pistacia vera cv. Kerman] Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 15, 787–798. open url image1