How Kentucky bluegrass tolerate stress caused by sodium chloride used for road de-icing?

Abstract

Salts used in road de-icing during winter season inhibit the growth and development of lawn grass species. The mechanism of plant tolerance/sensitivity to such treatments is still not clear. Moreover, there is a lack of fast and non-invasive tool to detect the effect of these salts on plants growth. This study was designed to understand the tolerance mechanism of Kentucky bluegrass plants on salinity, based on some biometric and physiological parameters. In this experiment, we simulated the urban conditions where salts are used intensively for roads de-icing. Germination capacity was evaluated at five salt solutions of NaCl (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mM), and physiological parameters were measured during the tillering phase at salinity levels of 0, 150 and 300 mM of NaCl. Seeds of Kentucky bluegrass did not germinate under salinity. During tillering phase, salinity affected length, area and dry mass of roots as well as the relative water content of plants, negatively. Moreover, it influenced the maximum chlorophyll fluorescence yield, quantum yield of photosystem II and electron transport rate at early period of stress. This allows us to recommend these parameters for early detection of soil salinity effects on Kentucky bluegrass plants. It seems to be that the tolerance of this plant towards salinity is based on retaining water content in leaves that allow more efficient functioning of photosynthetic apparatus.

Response of Lawn Grasses to Salinity Stress and Protective Potassium Effect

“…F. rubra and P. pratensis are found to be sensitive to salt stress, nonetheless many of F. arundinacea cultivars were estimated as resistant. However, the resistance of L. perenne varieties, a common and useful lawn grass, has not been observed [4,7,42]. It should be noted that a multiplicity of species and cultivars makes it possible to create a turfgrass mixture with specifically optimized functional features, including salt resistance.…”

“…Nevertheless, lawn cultivars of turfgrass species are valuable and suitable for urban areas thanks to their growth intensity and durability. However, in the northern hemisphere urban areas are often exposed to road de-icing salts of which halite is the most commonly used, containing nearly 98% sodium chloride [6,7]. Excessive soil salinity, along with other anthropogenic pollutants, markedly affect the lawns located near salted roads, walking paths and other green areas.…”

Turfgrass Salinity Stress and Tolerance—A Review

“…Salts used in road de-icing during the winter season inhibit the growth and development of utility turfgrass species. Germination capacity was evaluated at five salt solutions of NaCl (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mM), and physiological parameters were measured during the tillering phase at salinity levels of 0, 150, and 300 mM of NaCl [ 40 ]. Seeds of Kentucky bluegrass were found to have no germination under any level of salinity.…”

“…During the tillering phase, salinity negatively affected the length, area, and dry mass of roots as well as the relative water content of plants. The maximum chlorophyll fluorescence yield, quantum yield of photosystem II, and electron transport rate were negatively impacted at the early period of stress [ 40 ].…”

Assessment of the resistance of highly ornamental plants of autochthonous flora to increased concentrations of pollutants

“…В течение ряда лет во всем мире наблюдается тенденция к максимально активному привлечению видов аборигенных флор в процессы озеленения городских пространств [1-3]. Однако при отборе растений для озеленения в городской среде ключевым фактором будет являться устойчивость к засолению почв [4] и повышенным концентрациям тяжелых металлов, в частности свинца, кадмия и цинка [5]. Загрязнение почв, прилегающих к транспортным магистралям, связано в значительной степени с применением в зимнее время противогололедных реагентов в целях быстрого освобождения дорожных покрытий от снега.…”