Dynamics of the Foliar Pigments Content in some Tomato Cultivars from East Romania under Salt Stress

Abstract

The biological material was represented by ten local tomatoes populations collected from areas with saline soils from Moldavia region and compared with commercial type salt-tolerant tomato Determination of photosynthetic pigments of leaves was done by the spectrophotometric method. For determination of photosynthetic pigments of leaves we used a UV spectrophotometer type-1800. The content of chlorophyll pigments was assessed by light absorption ability of the acetone extract of pigments (1%) in the visible spectrum (400-700 nm). Tomato genotypes in the study were subjected to salt stress for a period of 30 days is constantly wetted with saline solution to a concentration of 100 mM and 200 mM. The pigment content was analyzed at 15 days and 30 days after the saline treatment. After 15 days when the tomato genotypes was subjected to constant stress salt the content of chlorophyll a 662-663 chlorophyll a 431-432 , chlorophyll b 453-454 and chlorophyll b 616-617 showed higher values compared with analyzes performed after 30 days. Analyzed the results based on biphasic model of growth response under salt stress proposed by Munns (1993), and found that tomatoes reacted similarly. The transition from phase I (osmotic stress) to phase II (ions toxicity), is done by salt stress intensity, but mostly by cultivated genotype.