Abstract
Elevated concentrations of NaCl in plant growth media cause a reduction in leaf growth. In grasses, where the leaf growth zone is a small part of the entire leaf, it is important to locate the expanding region and spatially quantify the extent of growth reduction under stress. This will allow comparisons and correlations with possible physiologically important factors. We studied the spatial distribution of growth within the intercalary growth zone of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench, cv. NK 265) leaves. Salinity (100 mM NaCl) shortened the length of the growth zone from 30 mm in the controls to about 24 mm, and reduced the maximal relative elemental growth rate (REG rate). The extent of growth inhibition varied with spatial location along the elongation region. The growth in the basal 3–9 mm of salinized plants was not affected. Young leaves, while still enclosed in the protected whorl of older sheaths and elongating rapidly, were affected more severely by the stress than emerged leaves. The distribution of growth along the leaf growth zone was not steady throughout the elongation period. The length of the elongation region of young nonemerged leaves increased with leaf age and reached a maximum of about 30 mm at leaf emergence. Toward the end of the elongation period, the growth zone shortened for both the control and salinized leaves, and was confined to more basal regions. The maximal REG rate increased after leaf emergence, the increase being larger in control than salinized leaves. Toward the end of the elongation period, when growth was no longer linear with respect to time, the maximum REG rate decreased and its position shifted closer to the leaf base. Growth profiles of leaves 8, 9 and 10 were similar in both control and salinized plants. This suggests that within that time frame of plant development, successive leaves are similarly affected by the stress, and that the length of time the plant was exposed to a steady level of salinity plays no role in specific leaf inhibition.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- REG rate:
-
relative elemental growth rate
References
Allard, G., Nelson, CJ. (1991) Photosynthate partitioning in basal zones of tall fescue leaf blades. Plant Physiol. 95, 663–668
Artschwager, E. (1948) Anatomy and morphology of the vegetative organs of Sorghum vulgare. USDA Technical Bulletins, 951–975
Bernstein, N. (1992) Distribution of growth and mineral element deposition in sorghum leaves: Effects of salinity and calcium. Ph. D. thesis, Univ. of Calif. at Davis
Boffey, S., Selden, S.A. Leech, R.M. (1980) Influence of cell age on chlorophyll formation in light grown and etiolated wheat seedlings. Plant Physiol. 65, 680–684
Cramer, G.R., Bowman, D.C. (1991) Kinetics of maize leaf elongation. I. Increased yield threshold limits short-term, steady-state elongation rates after exposure to salinity. J. Exp. Bot. 42, 1417–1426
Croxdale, J.G., Pappas, T. (1987) Activity of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase-NADP in developing leaves of lightgrown Dianthus chinesis L. Plant Physiol. 84, 1427–1430
Epstein, E. (1972) Mineral nutrition of plants: Principles and perspectives. John Wiley & Sons, New York
Erickson, R.O., Michelini, F.J. (1957) The plastochron index. Am. J. Bot. 44, 297–305
Erickson, R.O., Sax, K.B. (1956) Elemental growth rate of the primary root of Zea mays. Proc. Am. Philos. Soc. 100, 487–498
Esau, K. (1943) Ontogeny of the vascular bundle in Zea mays. Hilgardia 15, 327–368
Friend, D.J.C., Henson, V.A., Fisher, J.E. (1962) Leaf growth in Marquis Wheat, as regulated by temperature, light intensity, and daylight. Can. J. Bot. 40, 1299–1311
Greenway, H., Munns, R. (1980) Mechanisms of salt tolerance in non-halophytes. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 31, 149–90
Kemp, D.R. (1980) The location and size of the extension zone of emerging wheat leaves. New Phytol. 84, 729–37
Klepper, B., Belford, R.K., Rickman, R.W. (1984) Root and shoot development in winter wheat. Agron. J. 76, 117–122
Lazof, D., Läuchli, A. (1991) The nutritional status of the apical meristem of Lactuca sativa as affected by NaCl salinization: An electron probe microanalytic study. Planta 184, 334–342
Meiri, A., Silk, W.K., Läuchli, A. (1992) Growth and deposition of inorganic nutrient elements in developing leaves of Zea mays L. Plant Physiol. 99, 972–978
Munns, R., Gardner, A.P., Tonnet, M.L., Rawson, H.M. (1988) Growth and development in NaCl-treated plants. II. Do Na or Cl concentrations in dividing or expanding tissues determine growth in barley? Aust. J. Plant. Physiol. 15, 529–540
Munns, R., Greenway, H., Delane, R., Gibbs, J. (1982) Ion concentration and carbohydrate status of the elongating leaf tissue of Hordeum vulgare growing at high external NaCl. II. Cause of the growth reduction. J. Exp. Bot. 33, 574–583
Munns, R., Termaat, A., (1986) Whole-plant responses to salinity. Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 13, 143–60
Paolillo, D.J., Sorrels, M.E. (1992) The spatial distribution of growth in the extension zone of seedling wheat leaves. Ann. Bot. 70, 461–470
Schnyder, H., Nelson C.J. (1988) Diurnal growth of tall fescue leaf blades. I. Spatial distribution of growth, deposition of water and assimilate import in the elongation zone. Plant. Physiol. 86, 1070–1076
Schnyder, H., Nelson, C.J. (1989) Growth rates and assimilate partitioning in the elongation zone of tall fescue leaf blades at high and low irradiance. Plant Physiol. 90, 1201–1206
Schnyder, H., Nelson, C.J., Coutts, J.H. (1987) Assessment of spatial distribution of growth in the elongation zone of grass leaf blades. Plant Physiol. 85, 290–293
Schnyder, H., Seo, S., Rademacher, I.F., Kuehbauch, W. (1990) Spatial distribution of growth rates and of epidermal cell lengths in the elongation zone during leaf development in Lolium perenne L. Planta 181, 423–431
Sharp, R.E., Silk, W.K., Hsiao, T.C. (1988) Growth of the maize primary root at low water potentials. I. Spatial distribution of expansive growth. Plant Physiol. 87, 50–57
Sharp, R.E., Hsiao, T.C., Silk, W.K. (1990) Growth of the maize primary root at low water potentials. II. Role of growth and deposition of hexose and potasium in osmotic adjustment. Plant Physiol. 93, 1337–1346
Silk, W.K. (1984) Quantitative description of development. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 35, 479–518
Silk, W.K., Erickson, R.O. (1979) Kinematics of plant growth. J. Theor. Biol. 76, 481–501
Volenec, J.J., Nelson, C.J. (1981) Cell dynamics in leaf meristems of contrasting tall fescue genotypes. Crop Sci. 21, 381–385
Volenec, J.J., Nelson, C.J. (1984) Carbohydrate metabolism in leaf meristems of tall fescue. I. Relationship to genetically altered leaf elongation rates. Plant Physiol. 74, 590–594
Walker, S. (1988) Spatial pattern of leaf growth of sorghum as affected by water stress and implications for canopy development. Dissertation, University of California, Davis
Wiebe, H.J., Schaetzler, H.P., Kuehn, W. (1977) On the movement and distribution of calcium in white cabbage in dependence of the water status. Plant Soil 48, 409–416
Zhong, H. Läuchli. A. (1993) J. Exp. Bot., in press
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
We thank Dr. M.S. Bret-Harte for critical evaluation of the manuscript and Dr. A Meiri for helpful discussions. This work was supported by Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund grant No. 1-1485-88.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bernstein, N., Silk, W.K. & Läuchli, A. Growth and development of sorghum leaves under conditions of NaCl stress. Planta 191, 433–439 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00195744
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00195744