With the increase in concentration of applied salicylic acid (SA), chlorophyll (Chl) content decreased significantly in both wheat and moong seedlings. Chl a/b ratio decreased significantly only in wheat and remained constant in moong. On the other hand, total carotenoid (Car) content, size of xanthophyll pool, and de-epoxidation rate increased significantly with an increase in SA concentration in both plant species. Hence SA treatment may induce Car biosynthesis in these plant species, but the increase in the xanthophyll pool and de-epoxidation rate indicates that SA may create oxidative stress the degree of which is different in various plants.

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Summary Sesbania showed a luxuriant growth in soil with an electrical conductivity of up to 10m Scm -1 . Under saline conditions Na and CI accumulated at different rates in the plants. Accumulation of these ions in the leaf rachis compared with leaflets appears to be an adaptive feature of this legume. Maintenance of an optimum K level and accumulation of Ca are also indicative of a salt-tolerance mechanism. Accumulation of Fe in the roots of salt-stressed plants is noteworthy. Organic acids and soluble sugars which accumulated in plants under stress condition may play a role in osmotic adjustment. The level of proline, however, remained unaltered. Though the chlorophyll content of the leaves decreased, the photosynthetic rate was found to be enhanced by saline conditions. The probable relationships between these changes and the salt tolerance mechanism in the plant have been discussed.

Summary Some biochemical processes in pods of chickpea (Cicer ariet&um L.) plants subjected to increasing levels of NaCI salinity in sand culture have been investigated. Chickpea exhibited a marked salt sensitivity with respect to yield characteristics such as number of pods per plant, number of filled pods and 100 pod and seed weight. The accumulation of Na and C1 was more pronounced in the pod shell as compared to that in seeds. The Ca content in pod shell showed a decrease under saline conditions whereas an opposite trend was exhibited by P. Under saline conditions the levels of Fe, Mn and Mg were lowered in the seed tissue. The protein and starch contents of the seeds were also reduced markedly under saline conditions while only minor changes in the sugar fraction were found. Salinity favoured accumulation of free proline in the pod shell as well as in the seeds. Salt stress caused reduction of photosynthetic carbon assimilation in pods with a change in pattern of carbon metabolism.