The influence of salinization on seed germination and plant growth under mono and polyculture

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2020

Authors

Venâncio, C (Author) Other; Ruth Pereira (Author) FCUP; Lopes, I (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Environmental Pollution

Vol. 260

ISSN: 0269-7491

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 6 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00S-A3J

DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.113993

Abstract (EN): Sea level rise induced-salinization is lowering coastal soils productivity. In order to assess the effects that increased salinity may provoke in terrestrial plants, using as model species: Trifolium pratense, Lolium perenne, Festuca arundinacea and Vicia sail/a, two specific objectives were targeted: i) to determine the sensitivity of the selected plant species to increased salinity (induced by seawater-SW or by NaCl, proposed as a surrogate of SW) and, ii) to assess the influence of salinization in total biomass under different agricultural practices (mono- or polycultures). The four plant species exhibited a higher sensitivity to NaCl than to SW. Festuca arundinacea was the most tolerant species to NaCl (EC50,seed (germination) and EC50,growth of 18.6 and 10.5 mScm(-1), respectively). The other three species presented effective conductivities in the same order of magnitude and, in general, with 95% confidence limits overlapping. Soil moistened with SW caused no significant adverse effects on seed germination and growth of L. perenne. Similar to NaCl, the other three species, in general, presented a similar sensitivity t o SW exposure with EC50,seed germination and EC(50,growth )within the same order of magnitude and with confidence limits overlapping. The agricultural practice (mono-vs polyculture) showed some influence on the biomass of each plant species. When considering total productivity, for aerial and root biomass, it was higher in control comparatively to salinization conditions. Under salinization stress, the practice of polyculture was associated with a higher aerial and root total biomass than monocultures (for instance with combinations with T. pratense and F. arundinacea).Results suggest that the effects of salinity stress on total productivity may be minimized under agricultural practices of polyculture. Thus, this type of cultures should be encouraged in low-lying coastal ecosystems that are predicted to suffer from salinization caused by seawater intrusions.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10