To determine the effects of three PGPRs on plant growth, yield, and quality of tomato under simulated seawater irrigation, a two consecutive seasons' fi eld experiment was conducted in Yancheng Teachers University plot from April to June and August to October, 2011. The results showed that Erwinia persicinus RA2 containing ACC deaminase exhibited the best ability compared with Bacillus pumilus WP8 and Pseudomonas putida RBP1 which had no ACC deaminase activity to enhance marketable yields of fresh and dried fruits in tomato under simulated seawater irrigation especially under HS condition. B. pumilus WP8 had signifi cant effects on improving tomato fruit quality under the conditions of irrigating with 1.0% NaCl solution (MS) and with 2.0% NaCl solution (HS). Na + contents were generally accumulated much more in tomato plant midshoot leaves than in fruits whatever the salt concentration. More sodium accumulation in leaves of E. persicinus RA2 and B. pumilus WP8 treatments under HS condition were found than in control. E. persicinus RA2 and B. pumilus WP8 can promote tomato growth, improve fruit quality more fi rmly than P. putida RBP1 during two consecutive seasons. Our study suggested that E. persicinus RA2 and B. pumilus WP8 are considered to be promising PGPR strains which are suited for application in salt marsh planting, ACC deaminase activity was not unique index on screening for PGPRs with the aim of salt stress tolerance, and plant growth promoting activities may be relevant to different growth indices and different stress conditions.

In order to estimate relationships among growth potential and biochemical indicators of Japanese flounder, RNA and DNA as well as protein indices were measured from 5 days after hatching (DAH) to 45 DAH. Results showed that the RNA/DNA ratio and protein/DNA ratio had obvious relations with instantaneous growth rate (G M ) and length-based instantaneous growth rate (G L ) during the premetamorphic period. Significant negative correlations among protein/DNA ratio and G M and G L were then observed during metamorphosis. During the postmetamorphic phase, the RNA/DNA ratio was positively correlated with G M and G L . Data indicated that body growth of Japanese flounder is mostly hyperplastic before 20 DAH, hypertrophic until 27 DAH, and hyperplastic until the end. In order to investigate the effect of diel periodicity on RNA/DNA ratio in larvae of the fed and starved groups, an experiment was conducted for 2 days. Results showed that the average RNA/DNA ratio in the daytime was higher than that in the dark and the ratio in fed larvae was higher compared with that in starved ones. In order to examine starvation effect on RNA/DNA ratio, experiments were conducted from 20 DAH to 27 DAH. Juveniles were divided into five groups: a fed group and groups starved 1, 2, 3, and 4 days followed by refeeding. Results showed that the RNA/DNA ratio increased in the fed group and declined continuously in the starved group. After refeeding, the recovery of the RNA/DNA ratio was observed for 1-day, 2-day, and 3-day starved treatments but was not found for the 4-day starved treatment.