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Salinity is at present one of the most serious environmental problems in¯uencing crop growth. It has been extensively demonstrated that salinity aects several physiological processes in the plant, including the plant±water relations of most salt-sensitive crops species. In this study, the eects of salinity on the plant±water relations of kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and the possibility that foliarly applied glycinebetaine improves these water relations are examined. Kidney bean plants were grown in a greenhouse and treated with 0, 30, 50 and 100 mM M NaCl, combined with 0, 10 and 30 mM M glycinebetaine in foliar applications. Increased salinity levels decreased stomatal conductance, photosynthetic rate, transpiration and leaf relative water content in the 30, 50 and 100 mM M treatments relative to the control treatment. Glycinebetaine applications of 10 mM M increased stomatal conductance at 50 mM M NaCl, ameliorating signi®cantly the eect of salinity on water relations through increases in the leaf relative water content. At 100 mM M NaCl, 30 mM M glycinebetaine applications in particular contributed to osmotic stress, and had an adverse eect on plants. Our experiment suggests that glycinebetaine can be used as an alternative treatment to reduce the eects of salt stress on the water relations of salt-sensitive plants, but only to limited salinity levels. Furthermore, the improvement in the water status of kidney beans was dose dependent, suggesting that the concentration of glycinebetaine essential for the survival of salt-sensitive plants is species speci®c and must be determined individually for each plant species.

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The ITER vacuum vessel (VV) is designed to be large double-walled structure with a D-shaped crosssection. The achievable fabrication tolerance of this structure was unknown due to the size and complexity of shape. The Full-scale Sector Model of ITER Vacuum Vessel, which was 15m in height, was fabricated and tested to obtain the fabrication and assembly tolerances. The model was fabricated within the target tolerance of ±5mm and welding deformation during assembly operation was obtained. The port structure was also connected using remotized welding tools to demonstrate the basic maintenance activity. In parallel, the tests of advanced welding, cutting and inspection system were performed to improve the efficiency of fabrication and maintenance of the Vacuum Vessel. These activities show the feasibility of ITER Vacuum Vessel as feasible in a realistic way. This paper describes the major progress, achievement and latest status of the R&D activities on the ITER vacuum vessel.

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