The effects of humidity and cytokinin on growth and water relations of salt-stressed bean plants

✍ Scribed by Jose TarQuinio Prisco; James W. O'Leary

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1973
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 720 KB
• Volume: 39
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0032-079X
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00014793

✦ Synopsis

Salinity inhibited growth of plants in both low and high humidities when compared to control plants grown under the same conditions. However, salttreated plants grew better under high humidity when compared to saltstressed plants grown under low humidity. Benzyl adenine (B.A.) sprays did not have any effect on growth of salt-treated plants grown in low humidity. However, when plants were grown in high humidity, B.A. either had no effect or inhibited the growth of the plants. Salinity increased leaf resistance to water vapor loss (RL) in both low and high humidity, and B.A. decreased RI~ of salt-treated plants in both humidities. The effects of salinity on decreasing root permeability were the same in both humidities studied, and they were not reversed by B.A. applications. The results do not support the idea that growth inhibition due to salinity is simply the result of impaired cytokinin metabolism and/or transport. Rather, the growth inhibition probably is due to the effect of salinity on the balance of hormones and could be acting at several different steps.