The effect of sodicity on cotton: plant response to solutions containing high sodium concentrations

Abstract

Solution culture was used to investigate whether the high solution Na concentrations and Na: Ca ratios found in sodic soils could directly affect the early growth and nutrient uptake of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Cotton was grown in nutrient solutions with three Na:Ca ratios (46:1, 4:1 and 0.2:1 mM) and three electrical conductivities (EC) (2.5, 4.25 and 6 dS m −1 ) combined in a factorial design with four replicates. Most cotton growth parameters (including shoot and root dry weight, fruit number and weight) were unaffected by increasing solution EC or Na:Ca ratio, but at the highest Na concentration (56.6 mM), plant height was reduced. It was concluded that young cotton has the ability to tolerate solution Na concentrations up to those found in moderately sodic soils. Increasing solution Na:Ca increased plant root and shoot concentrations and plant accumulation for Na, and decreased them for Ca. Increasing EC also increased plant Na concentration and accumulation. Shoot K and P concentrations decreased with EC, but actually increased as the sodicity (Na:Ca ratio) of the nutrient solution increased. The results suggest that the low K and P concentrations commonly found in cotton grown in sodic soils are not a direct result of Na:Ca ratio in the soil solution.

The effect of sodicity on cotton: Does soil chemistry or soil physical condition have the greater role?

“…Soil chemical constraints at high ESP could include high plant Na concentrations (>0.2%) and marginal plant Mn concentrations, but this needs further investigation. The results of this experiment agree with a hydroponic study of the effect of sodic nutrient solutions on cotton growth, which showed little effect on cotton growth up to concentrations similar to those found in a Grey Vertosol with an ESP of 22 (Dodd et al 2010a).…”

“…An alternative explanation is that P and K uptake are directly affected by the chemical composition of the soil solution that is developed in response to the high ESP, for example, by competition between ions for uptake. Dodd et al (2010a) investigated the second of these options and observed limited effects of soil solution composition on cotton growth. Separating the effects of chemical and physical effects on the growth of cotton in sodic soils has implications for management of crops.…”

Roles of enzymes in anti-oxidative response system on three species of chenopodiaceous halophytes under NaCl-stress condition

“…More than 23% of irrigated lands have been salinized (Tanji 1990) and its adverse effect is increasing (Ghanem et al 2008). Excessive sodium chloride (NaCl), a major salt in these lands, causes many types of stress symptoms in plants, such as potassium (K) deficiency (Dodd et al 2010;Fraile-Escanciano et al 2010) and osmotic stress (Yang et al 2008). Therefore, preventing crop yield reductions in salinized areas is one of the solutions to avoid a food crisis while the world population is rising.…”

Mycorrhizal symbiosis and growth of sorghum plants irrigated with saline water

“…Sodium chloride is the salt of greatest importance as a contaminant; this molecule, when ionized by water, produces Na and Cl ions, which are toxic and cause ionic and osmotic stress at the cellular level in plants (Chinnusamy, Jagendorf, & Zhu, 2005;Mansour & Salama, 2000). A high Na concentration displaces the Ca ions from the binding sites of the cell membrane in the root and alters its permeability, causing the exit of K from the cells and facilitating the entry of Na (Dodd, Guppy, Lockwood, & Rochester, 2010). The excessive concentration of Cl in plant tissue produces leaf burn, reduces photosynthesis and inhibits nitrate uptake (Villa, Catalán, & Inzunza, 2006;Zhu, 2001).…”

“…El cloruro de sodio representa la sal de mayor importancia como contaminante, esta molécula al ser ionizada por el agua produce iones de Na y Cl, los cuales son tóxicos y originan estrés iónico y osmótico a nivel celular en las plantas (Chinnusamy, Jagendorf, & Zhu, 2005;Mansour & Salama, 2000). Una alta concentración de Na desplaza los iones de Ca de los sitios de enlace de la membrana celular en la raíz y altera su permeabilidad, lo que causa la salida de K de las células y favorece la entrada de Na (Dodd, Guppy, Lockwood, & Rochester, 2010). La concentración excesiva del Cl en el tejido vegetal produce quemaduras en las hojas, disminuye la fotosíntesis e inhibe la absorción de nitratos (Villa, Catalán, & Inzunza, 2006;Zhu, 2001).…”