Polyamines in Chloride-stressed Citrus Plants: Alleviation of Stress by Nitrate Supplementation via Irrigation Water
Yoel Bar, Akiva Apelbaum, Uzi Kafkafi, and Raphael Goren
The Kennedy–Leigh Centre for Horticultural Research
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
A study was conducted to elucidate the effects of chloride in the irrigation water on growth and development of two citrus rootstocks. ‘Cleopatra’ mandarin (Citrus reshni Hort. ex Tan) is salt tolerant and ‘Troyer’ citrange (Poncirus´Citrus sinensis) is salt sensitive. Increasing chloride from 2 to 48 mM in the irrigation water resulted in increased leaf chloride levels, more severe damage of the leaves, and reduced branch growth. High chloride in the irrigation water also caused increased putrescine (PUT) and decreased spermine (SPM) contents of the leaves.