Physiological and Biochemical Responses of Jerusalem Artichoke Seedlings to Mixed Salt-Alkali Stress Conditions

Abstract

Soil salinization and alkalization frequently co-occur in the grassland, but little information exists concerning the mixed effects of salt-alkaline stress on plant. Jerusalem artichoke is an economically and ecologically important energy crop and also considered as a salt-tolerant species. In this study, we investigated the effects of 12 mixed salt-alkaline conditions on the seedling growth and responses of Jerusalem artichoke to such conditions. The results showed that the seedling growth decreased with the increasing salinity and pH, and the destructive effects were more markedly under the interactions of highest salinity and pH. The Na+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ concentrations were all increased with the increasing salinity and pH, but the K+ kept stable. The Cl- concentration increased when the treatment without alkali salts, and the NO3– and H2PO4- concentrations were decreased with the increasing salinity. Jerusalem artichoke seedlings enhanced organic acids and proline to supply the shortage of inorganic anions and cope with osmotic stress from the high Na+ concentration. Above results show that the toxicity effects of the interactions of salt stress and alkali stress on plant is much greater than that only salt or alkali stress. A better understanding of the seedlings of Jerusalem artichoke under mixed salt-alkali stress conditions should facilitate the effective utilization of this species under such complex environment in Northeast China.