Effect of salt stress on seed germination and seedling growth of three salinity plants

Abstract

Seeds of three halophyte species included Limonium sinense Kuntze, Glycine soja sieb. and Sorghum sudanense Stapf. were used to investigate the effects of different salinity concentrations on their germination percentage, germination energy, germination index, relative germination rate, relative salt-injury rate, radicle length and hypocotyl length. Results showed that seeds of G. soja can germinate well and rapidly at lower level of salt (< 200 mmol L(-1)), 50 mmol L(-1) salt concentrations is better to S. sudanense, suitable salt concentrations was beneficial to germinate of S. sudanense seeds. Seeds of L. sinense and S. sudanense can germinate at higher level of salt (400 mmol L(-1)). Three plant seeds had different physiological mechanism for germination under salt stress, radicle hypocotyl ratio of L. sinense and S. sudanense increased with increasing salt suggested that they had the higher tolerance in shoot growth under NaCl stress, which is perhaps the reason for their wide utilisation for saline soil rehabilitation.