Plant development, gas exchanges and pigments of Mesosphaerum suaveolens submitted to osmoconditioning and saline stress

Abstract

Salinity is one of the main plant abiotic stresses which affects the establishment and development crops. Hence, the search for technologies that minimize the damage caused by salinity is essential. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of salinity stress and osmotic conditioning of seeds on the biomass, gas exchanges and chlorophyll pigments in Mesosphaerum suaveolens (L.) Kuntze. The statistical design adopted was a randomized block design, combined according to the Central Composite Design, referring to electrical conductivities of irrigation water and osmotic potentials, with minimum (- α) and maximum (α) values of 0.5 and 10.0 dS m-1 and 0.0 and -1.0 MPa, respectively, totaling nine combinations. The characteristics of dry biomass, gas exchange and chlorophyll indices were evaluated at 45 days after irrigation with saline water started. The salinity of irrigation water severely affected the dry biomass and the gas exchanges of M. suaveolens. Irrigation water of electrical conductivity above 3.2 dS m-1 caused reductions in chlorophyll a, b and total contents in M. suaveolens plants. Seed osmoconditioning did not attenuate the negative effects of saline stress on M. suaveolens plants.