Tolerance of few Eucalypt species to salinity in Vitro

Abstract

Most of the salinity problems causes by NaCl distribution in dry lands, beaches and water resources. This research was carried out to estimate the salinity resistance of four Eucalyptus species: Eucalypus camaldulensis, E. microtheca, E. kingsmillii and E. tetragona. Five NaCl level (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mM) treatments were used in three replication in a factorial experiment design based on completely randomized plots. Sampling were made from stamen leaves of different treatments and pigments (total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a and b, carotene, soluble sugar and prolin) and growth parameters (biomass, leaf area, relative water content, water saturation deficient (WSD), specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf water content per unit leaf area (LWCA)) and other characters including withering, falling and drying leaves were measured. Increased of salt stress leds to increased prolin, soluble sugar and withering, falling, drying leaves and decreased pigments and growth parameters in four species. Between the studied species, E.microtheca showed the most tolerant salt stress, although for prolin, soluble sugar, pigments, SLA, LWCA, WSD had the highest quantity and for the withering, falling and drying leaves had the lowest quantity.

Keywords

• Salt stress
• eucalyptus
• pigments
• prolin
• soluble sugar
• growth