The Impact of Drought and Salinity Stress on the Physiological Growth of Fontanesia Fortunei Carr.

Abstract

In order to understand the drought resistance and salt tolerance of maple leaves of Fontanesia fortunei Carr. In this study, seeds of Fontanesia fortunei Carr. were treated with different concentrations of PEG and NaCl solutions to investigate their effects on growth and physiology. The results demonstrated that the control group had the highest germination rate. PEG had a significant impact on root length but a minimal influence on plant height, with mild drought stress promoting root growth. Increasing concentrations of PEG were associated with higher MDA content, peaking at 10% concentration, while SOD activity reached its maximum at 10% PEG concentration. When the NaCl concentration was 0%, seedling root length and plant height were both maximized. NaCl primarily influenced root length but had a minor effect on plant height. Maximum MDA content was observed at 0.8% NaCl concentration, whereas SOD activity reached its peak at 0.6% NaCl concentration. This study has significant implications for landscape architecture and horticultural production.