Germination and Respiration of Barley, Strawberry Clover, and Ladino Clover Seeds in Salt Solutions¹

Abstract

V ARIOUS crop species exhibit widely differing degrees of salt tolerance at early growth stages. Ayers and Hayward (2) reported that 'California Mariout' barley germinated fairly well at high osmotic pressures in soils salinized with sodium chloride. Additionally, they found that sugar beet germinated poorly, and kidney bean not at all, at moderate osmotic pressures. Varieties within a species also may exhibit wide variation in ability to tolerate saline conditions at early stages of growth. Among 30 worldwide varieties of barley, Ayers (1) found that the tolerance limits for a 50% reduction in germination ranged from 12 atmospheres for 'Arivat' to 20 atmospheres for California Mariout. Uhvits (7) found that alfalfa seeds absorbed water more slowly but accumulated more chloride from a sodium chloride solution as the osmotic pressure of the solution increased. She showed that, in the greenhouse, the result of the physico-chemical effect of salt was a reduced rate of emergence of seedlings, depending on the concentration. A respiration response to salinity has been reported by at least two groups of workers. Sarin and Rao (6) studied the influence of sodium sulfate on the respiration of gram and wheat during germination. They reported that sodium sulfate depressed respiratory activity in gram more than in wheat. Henckel and Strogonov (5) considered the effects of specific ions on the metabolism of several crop species and observed that the chloride ion decreased the rate of respiration. To elucidate further the physiology of salt tolerance during the critical initial growth phase, we investigated the respiratory response to several salts as related to the germination of three forage species with widely differing abilities to tolerate salinity.

Variation in the salinity tolerance of strawberry clover (Trifolium fragiferum L.)

“…Strawberry clover seed germination (George and Williams, 1964) and plant growth (Gauch and Magistad, 1943) are affected less by salinity than is white clover (T. repens L.). The mean IC50 value during germination for 761 accessions of alfalfa was -0.57 MPa (Rumbaugh and Pendery, 1990), whereas the mean IC50 value for strawberry clover was -0.43MPa (Table 3).…”

On the Quality and Some Ecological Effects of Wastewater Effluents from Two Chemical Industrial Plants in Pakistan

“…Ayers & Hayward (1948), Ayers et al (1952), Hayward & Bernstein (1958), Dewey (1960), George & Williams (1964), El-Zahab (1971), and Khan & Sheikh (1976), have reported a decrease in the percentage germination of the seeds of plants at higher levels of salinity. This low percentage germination might have been due to high osmotic pressure preventing the intake of the necessary water, or, possibly, to the toxicity of specific ions, as has been reported by Hayward &Wadleigh(1949).…”

Behavior of Wheat Cultivars in Hydroponic Culture under Saline Conditions

“…These results were contrary to the findings of Biabaniet al (23) and Khayatnezhad and Gholamin (22) probably these are due to different cultivars with ability to escape the certain level of salinity. According to George and William (26), the capacity of seed to geminate and develop in salty soil is influenced by a variety of biological variables, including seed viability, seed age, dormancy, seed coat permeability, internal inhibitors, and genetic composition, among others. Also, during germination, better resistance to salt is linked to lower respiration rates and a larger store of respiratory chemicals.…”