Effect of saline water irrigation on growth and physiological responses of three rose rootstocks Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Salt-tolerant landscape plants are needed for arid and semiarid regions where the supply of quality water is limited and soil salinization often occurs. This study evaluated growth, chloride (Cl) and sodium (Na) uptake, relative chlorophyll content, and chlorophyll fluorescence of three rose rootstocks [Rosa xfortuniana Lindl., R. multiflora Thunb., and R. odorata (Andr.) Sweet] irrigated with saline solutions at 1.6 (control), 3.0, 6.0, or 9.0 dSm-1electrical conductivity in a greenhouse. After 15 weeks, most plants in 9.0 dSm-1treatment died regardless of rootstock. Significant growth reduction was observed in all rootstocks at 6.0 dSm-1compared with the control and 3.0 dSm-1, but the reduction in R. xfortuniana was smaller than in the other two rootstocks. The visual scores of R. multiflora at 3.0 and 6.0 dSm-1were slightly lower than those of the other rootstocks. Rosa odorata had the highest shoot Na concentration followed by R. multiflora; however, R. multiflora had the highest root Na concentration followed by R. odorata. All rootstocks had higher Cl accumulation in all plant parts at elevated salinities, and no substantial differences in Cl concentrations in all plant parts existed among the rootstocks, except for leaf Cl concentration in R. multiflora, which was higher than those in the other two rootstocks. The elevated salinities of irrigation water reduced the relative chlorophyll concentration, measured as leaf SPAD readings, and maximal photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) and minimal fluorescence (Fo)/maximum fluorescence (Fv/Fm), but the largest reduction in Fv/Fmwas only 2.4%. Based on growth and visual quality, R. xfortuniana was relatively more salt-tolerant than the other two rootstocks and R. odorata was slightly more salt-tolerant than R. multiflora.

published proceedings

  • HortScience

author list (cited authors)

  • Niu, G., Rodriguez, D. S., & Aguiniga, L.

complete list of authors

  • Niu, G||Rodriguez, DS||Aguiniga, L

publication date

  • August 2008