Mitigating effect of salicylic acid and nitrate on water relations and osmotic adjustment in maize, cv. Lluteno exposed to salinity

Abstract

H. Escobar, R. Bustos, F. Fernández, H. Cárcamo, H. Silva, N. Frank, and L. Cardemil. 2010. Mitigating effect of salicylic acid and nitrate on water relations and osmotic adjustment in maize, cv. Lluteño exposed to salinity. Cien. Inv. Agr. 37(3): 71-81. We analyzed the mitigating effect of NO3 - and salicylic acid (SA) on the detrimental effects of salt stress by studying the water status of plants of maize grown in Hoagland´s medium with NaCl 100 mM as the saline component, to which SA and NO3 - were added in different concentrations as mitigating agents. We evaluated water potential (Ψw), osmotic potential (Ψs), relative water content (RWC), turgor potential (Ψp), and the osmotic adjustment (OA) of leaves and roots. SA 0.5 mM mitigated the effects of salinity by increasing the Ψw of the leaf, the Ψs of the root, the Ψp of the leaf, RWC and OA of the leaf; while NO3 - was only effective in combination with SA, mitigating the effects of salinity by increasing RWC and OA. However, the interaction SA-NO3 - reduced leaf Ψw and Ψs of leaves and roots. Mitigation of salt stress was also detected by a positive effect on plant growth. The greatest effect on growth was produced by the NO3 - treatments and SA 0.5 mM combined with NO3 -.