Effect of Sodium Chloride Salinity on
Growth and Ion Accumulation in Some
Halophytes
V. P. S. Shekhawat and A. Kumar
Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University
of Rajasthan, Jaipur, India
K. H. Neumann
Institut fu¨ r Pflanzenerna¨hrung, Abt.Gewebe Kultur, IFZ,
Giessen, Germany
Abstract: Effects of salinity on biomass production, water content, and ion accumulation
pattern in Atriplex amnicola P. G. Wilson, Atriplex calotheca L., Atriplex
hortensis L., Chenopodium album L., Salsola kali L., and Suaeda nudiflora Moq.
(all Chenopodiaceae) have been studied. The plants survived and exhibited no
toxicity symptoms up to 6000 mg L21 NaCl treatment. Ion composition was variable
in plants grown under different salinity treatments. Salinity, except in Suaeda
nudiflora where the least biomass was produced in control, affected all other species
negatively, and they produced the least biomass at high salinity treatment. Shoot
water content of Suaeda nudiflora and Chenopodium album increased significantly
in response to salinity. Among all the species examined here, maximum sodium
(Naþ) accumulation was recorded for Suaeda nudiflora, and it increased with the
increasing salinity. This study concluded that among all the species tested, Suaeda
nudiflora was most suitable plant for bioremediation of salt-contaminated soils.
Acknowledgement: Support form DAAD and Humboldt Foundation for this investigation to Professor Dr Neumann and Professor Ashwani Kumar is gratefully acknowledged.
