Effect of salinity level on uptake and distribution of chloride, sodium and potassium ions in citrus plants

Abstract

Seedlings of the Citrus rootstocks Rangpur lime (Citrus reticulata var. austera hybrid?), Kharna khatta (C. karna Raf.) and Etrog citron (C. medica L.), were grown in a porous medium under glasshouse conditions and irrigated with 0, 25, 50 or 100 mM NaCl for 6 weeks. Chloride concentrations in roots of all three rootstocks were increased by salt treatment. Increasing the level of salinity from 25 to 100 mM NaCl did not increase further the chloride concentrations in roots of any rootstock, implying an upper limit to the extent of chloride loading in roots. The upper limit appeared to be similar for all rootstocks. Differences between the rootstocks were found in chloride concentrations in leaves and to a lesser extent in stems, emphasizing pronounced rootstock differences in root to shoot transport of chloride, i.e. in their ability for chloride exclusion. This ability increased in the order: Etrog citron, Kharna khatta, and Rangpur lime. Root, stem and leaf sodium concentrations increased with salt treatment, but a concurrent reduction in potassium concentrations with salt treatment occurred only in roots and stems. Shoot growth of Etrog citron and Kharna khatta plants was reduced significantly by 50 mM NaCl, but growth of Rangpur lime plants showed a marked reduction only at 100 mM NaCl. Shoot-growth and salt-induced changes in the concentrations of chloride, sodium and potassium in leaves and roots of each rootstock were unaffected by sodium to calcium ratios in the range 6.25 : 1 to 25 : 1 for plants treated with 50 mM NaCl, and in the range 12.5 : 1 to 50 : 1 for plants treated with 100 mM NaCl. Shoot growth and ion uptake patterns