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Alleviatory effects of calcium on the toxicity of sodium, potassium and magnesium chlorides to seed germination in three non-halophytes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2007

Kazuo Tobe ,
Liping Zhang  and
Kenji Omasa
Kazuo Tobe*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Intellectual Fundamentals for Environmental Studies, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan
Liping Zhang
Affiliation:
Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Kenji Omasa
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
*
*Correspondence Fax: +81–298–50–2587 Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Saline soils contain numerous salts with varying impact on seed germination. Seeds of three non-halophytic species found in Chinese sandy deserts (Artemisia ordosica, Aristida adscensionis and Bassia dasyphylla) were incubated in salt solutions (NaCl, KCl or MgCl2, each with or without CaCl2) at 20°C in the dark. The effects of each salt on the percentage of seeds from which visibly detectable radicles emerged, and the percentage of seeds with emerging radicles surviving to a length of at least 4 mm, were examined. NaCl, KCl and MgCl2 were toxic to emerging radicles in all three species, but before radicle emergence these salts reduced seed germinability only in A. ordosica. The toxic effects of each salt on the radicles were alleviated in all three species by the addition of low concentrations of CaCl2. MgCl2 was more toxic than NaCl and KCl, and the concentration of CaCl2 needed to alleviate the toxicity of MgCl2 was several times higher than that required for alleviation of NaCl or KCl toxicity. These results suggest that Ca2+ present in saline soils alleviates the toxic effects of other salt components on seed germination, and that the results of germination experiments with a single salt are not always applicable to field conditions.

Keywords

calciumnon-halophytemagnesiumpotassiumsalt toxicityseed germinationsodiumArtemisia ordosicaAristida adscensionisBassia dasyphylla
Type
Research Article
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 13 , Issue 1 , March 2003 , pp. 47 - 54
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2003

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