The effect of salinity and high boron on growth, photosynthetic activity and mineral contents of two ornamental shrubs

S. Bañón, J. Miralles, J. Ochoa and M.J. Sánchez-Blanco
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S. Bañón: Department of Plant Production, Technical University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain
J. Miralles: Department of Plant Production, Technical University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain
J. Ochoa: Department of Plant Production, Technical University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain
M.J. Sánchez-Blanco: Sustainable Horticulture in Arid Zone Group, CEBAS-Technical University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain

Horticultural Science, 2012, vol. 39, issue 4, 188-194

Abstract: Simultaneous salinity and boron (B) excess often occur due to irrigation with water containing high levels of salts, including B. The effects of excess of NaCl and B in the nutrient solution on some agronomical and physiological parameters of Viburnum tinus (laurustinus) and Metrosideros excelsa (metrosideros) were studied. Potted plants were grown in a factorial combination of B (1 and 6 mg/l) and NaCl (2 and 6 dS/m). B toxicity (6 mg/l) caused tip/edge burn in the lower leaves of laurustinus, while these symptoms were absent in metrosideros. Toxicity by B reduced dry biomass in the two species, particularly the aerial part in metrosideros and the roots in laurustinus. Metrosideros accumulated a similar content of B in all leaves, while the laurustinus tended to accumulate more B in the lower leaves. The leaf B content in laurustinus was reduced by salinity to a greater extent than in metrosideros; however, this was not sufficient to prevent injuries to the laurustinus photosynthetic system.

Keywords: boron toxicity; NaCl; laurustinus; metrosideros; chlorophyll fluorescence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:caa:jnlhor:v:39:y:2012:i:4:id:167-2011-hortsci

DOI: 10.17221/167/2011-HORTSCI

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