Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T04:59:26.504Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Salinity tolerance during germination of seashore halophytes and salt-tolerant grass cultivars

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2007

Hans Martin Hanslin  and
Trine Eggen
Hans Martin Hanslin*
Affiliation:
The Norwegian Crop Research Institute, Særheim Research Centre, Postvegen 213, N-4353 Klepp St., Norway
Trine Eggen
Affiliation:
The Norwegian Centre for Soil and Environmental Research, Fredrik A. Dahls vei 20, N-1432 Ås, Norway
*
*Correspondence: Fax: +47 51789801, Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Direct sowing is the simplest method of plant establishment for restoration and remediation purposes, but relatively few plants can establish under high salinity conditions. In this study, the ability of different seashore plants and grass cultivars to germinate in different dilutions of seawater (0–400 mM NaCl) was tested. Highest germination was found in distilled water or seawater dilutions up to 100 mM NaCl. When seawater concentrations were increased from 100 to 200 mM NaCl, a strong decline in germination percentage and rate was observed in less salt-tolerant species, such as Matricaria maritima and Achillea millefolium. The more salt-tolerant species, Plantago maritima, Juncus gerardii, Artemisia vulgaris, Agrostis spp. and Rumex spp., had a threshold salinity, where germination was significantly decreased in seawater dilutions between 200 and 400 mM NaCl. Even among the salt-tolerant species, only two, Agrostis stolonifera and Artemisia vulgaris, germinated at 400 mM. Variation in salinity response was observed among populations of Artemisia vulgaris and among cultivars of Festuca spp. Increasing salinity to 200 mM NaCl delayed germination in most species. Ungerminated seeds of most salinity-tolerant species were still viable after 21 d at the highest salinity (400 mM), and showed a rapid and high germination when transferred to distilled water. These species would be able to survive high salinity and germinate when the salinity of the sediments decreases through dilution or leaching of salts. The experiment revealed species and cultivars that will be of interest in further testing for restoration and remediation in saline habitats.

Keywords

dredged marine sedimentsgerminationhalophytephytoremediationplant establishmentsalinityseawater
Type
Research Article
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 15 , Issue 1 , March 2005 , pp. 43 - 50
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baskin, C.C., Baskin, J.M. (1998) Seeds: Ecology, biogeography, and evolution of dormancy and germination. San Diego, Academic Press.Google Scholar
Charpentier, A., Mesleard, F., Grillas, P. (1998) The role of water level and salinity in the regulation of Juncus gerardi populations in former ricefields in southern France. Journal of Vegetation Science 9, 361–370.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cunningham, S.D., Shann, J.R., Crowley, D.E., Anderson, T.A. (1997) Phytoremediation of contaminated water and soil. pp. 2–17. Kruger, E.;, Anderson, T.;, Coates, J. (Eds) Phytoremediation of soil and water contaminants. Washington DC, American Chemical Society.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greipsson, S., Davy, A.J. (1994) Germination of Leymus arenarius and its significance for land reclamation in Iceland. Annals of Botany 73, 393–401.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greipsson, S., Ahokas, H., Vahamiko, S. (1997) A rapid adaptation to low salinity of inland-colonizing populations of the littoral grass Leymus arenarius. International Journal of Plant Sciences 158, 73–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gulzar, S., Khan, M.A. (2002) Alleviation of salinity-induced dormancy in perennial grasses. Biologia Plantarum 45, 617–619.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hester, M.W., Mendelssohn, I.A., McKee, K.L. (1996) Intraspecific variation in salt tolerance and morphology in the coastal grass Spartina patens (Poaceae). American Journal of Botany 83, 1521–1527.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keiffer, C.H., Ungar, I.A. (2002) Germination and establishment of halophytes on brine-affected soils. Journal of Applied Ecology 39, 402–415.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Khan, M.A., Gul, B. (1998) High salt tolerance in germinating dimorphic seeds of Arthrocnemum indicum. International Journal of Plant Sciences 159, 826–832.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Khan, M.A., Gulzar, S. (2003) Light, salinity, and temperature effects on the seed germination of perennial grasses. American Journal of Botany 90, 131–134.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Khan, M.A., Ungar, I.A. (2001) Effects of germination promoting compounds on the release of primary and salt-enforced seed dormancy in the halophyte Sporobolus arabicus Boiss. Seed Science and Technology 29, 299–306.Google Scholar
Khan, M.A., Gul, B., Weber, D.J. (2002) Improving seed germination of Salicorania rubra (Chenopodiaceae) under saline conditions using germination-regulating chemicals. Western North American Naturalist 62, 101–105.Google Scholar
Khan, M.A., Gul, B., Weber, D.J. (2004) Action of plant growth regulators and salinity on seed germination of Ceratoides lanata. Canadian Journal of Botany 82, 37–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, C.R., Sturgis, T.C., Price, P.A., Blaylock, M.J. (2002) Phyto-engineering approaches to contaminated dredged material. pp. 173–177. Hinchee, R.E.;, Porta, A.;, Pellei, M. (eds) Remediation and beneficial reuse of contaminated sediments. Proceedings of the first international conference on remediation of contaminated sediments, Venice, 10–12. October 2001. Columbus, Battelle Press.Google Scholar
Malcolm, C.V., Lindley, V.A., O'Leary, J.W., Runciman, H.V., Barrett-Lennard, E.G. (2003) Halophyte and glycophyte salt tolerance at germination and the establishment of halophyte shrubs in saline environments. Plant and Soil 253, 171–185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mooring, M.T., Seneca, E.D., Cooper, A.W. (1971) Seed germination response and evidence for height ecophenes in Spartina alterniflora from North Carolina. American Journal of Botany 58, 48–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Munns, R. (2002) Comparative physiology of salt and water stress. Plant, Cell and Environment 25, 239–250.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shumway, S.W., Bertness, M.D. (1992) Salt stress limitation of seedling recruitment in a salt marsh plant community. Oecologia 92, 490–497.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ungar, I.A. (1978) Halophyte seed germination. Botanical Review 44, 233–264.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ungar, I.A. (1987) Population ecology of halophyte seeds. Botanical Review 53, 301–334.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walmsley, C.A., Davy, A.J. (1997) Germination characteristics of shingle beach species, effects of seed ageing and their implications for vegetation restoration. Journal of Applied Ecology 34, 131–142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woodell, S.R.J. (1985) Salinity and seed germination patterns in coastal plants. Vegetatio 61, 223–229.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zedler, J.B., Morzaria-Luna, H., Ward, K. (2003) The challenge of restoring vegetation on tidal, hypersaline substrates. Plant and Soil 253, 259–273.CrossRefGoogle Scholar