Saline stress effect in Phaseolus vulgaris seeds

Abstract

Saline soils tend to impair germination and plant growth of various crops, resulting in agroeconomic problems. This study aimed to verify the physiological performance of common bean seeds submitted to salt stress. The research was conducted in the Plant Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Animal Science, UNESP, Ilha Solteira, SP, Brazil, in May 2014, using common bean cv. Perola seeds. The design was completely randomized, with six treatments (0; 1,309; 1,964; 2,620; 3,273 and 3,928 g NaCl L^-1) and four replications. The observations were recorded for: % germination, number of abnormal seedlings, root and shoot length, fresh and dry weight of the roots, shoots and cotyledons, electrical conductivity and accelerated aging. The different levels of saline tested did not affect the germination parameters, number of abnormal seedlings and electrical conductivity. Consequently, for these parameters, the seeds of the cultivar Perola had good physiological performance. The root and shoot length parameters, were sensitive to higher salinity levels.