Effects of waterlogging, rootstock and salinity on Na, Cl and K concentrations of the leaf and root, and shoot growth of sultana grapevines

Abstract

Potted Sultana vines ( Vitis vinifera L. cv. Sultana) on own-roots or grafted onto Ramsey, Harmony, Schwarzmann or 1613 rootstocks were irrigated with solutions containing 1, 10, 20, 40 or 60 mM NaCl. Half the vines had free-draining rootzones and the other half were waterlogged for the first week in a 2-week cycle. The vines were harvested after seven cycles. Raising the irrigation salinity from 1 to 60 mM caused growth to decline by 47% in vines with free-draining rootzones and by 61% in vines with waterlogged rootzones. Under saline conditions, the use of chloride excluding rootstock reduced leaf chloride concentration by 60% in vines with free-draining rootzones but by only 18% in vines with waterlogged rootzones. Waterlogging decreased the root chloride concentration in all rootstocks. The leaf potassium concentration was reduced by waterlogging at irrigation salinities less than 20 mM NaCl and increased by waterlogging at higher salinities. Waterlogging altered the relative effects of rootstock on leaf potassium.