INVESTIGADORES
RUIZ Oscar Adolfo
artículos
Título:
Salt effects on functional traits in model and in economically important Lotus species
Autor/es:
UCHIYA P.; ESCARAY F.J.; BILENCA D.; PIECKENSTAIN F.; RUIZ O.A.; MENENDEZ A.B.
Revista:
PLANT BIOLOGY
Editorial:
WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC
Referencias:
Lugar: Londres; Año: 2016 vol. 18 p. 703 - 709
ISSN:
1435-8603
Resumen:
One of the most common stress sources for plants is NaCl-derived soil salinity. The genus Lotus comprises model and economically important species, which have been thoroughly studied regarding their physiological response to salinity. The leaf area ratio (LAR), the root length ratio (RLR) and their components (specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf mass fraction (LMF), and specific root length (SRL) and root mass fraction (RMF), respectively) may be affected by high salinity levels in soil. In this work we characterized L. tenuis, L. corniculatus, L. filicaulis, L. creticus, L. burtii and L. japonicus plants grown under different salt concentrations (0, 50, 100 and 150 mM Na Cl), on the base of their SLA, LMF, SRL and RMF by principal components analysis (PCA). We also assessed the effect of different salt concentrations on LAR and RLR in each species, and explored whether changes in these traits provide a fitness benefit to this group of plants. Salinity (150 mM NaCl) increased LAR in L. burtii and L. corniculatus, but it did not affect the LAR of remaining species. The highest salt concentration caused a decrease of the RLR in L. japonicus Gifu, whereas this trait was not affected by salinity in the remaining Lotus species. Changes in LAR and RLR observed would not be adaptive, according to the adaptiveness analysis performed, with the exception of SLA changes in L. corniculatus. The PCA analysis revealed that under favorable conditions, plants privilege surfaces for light and nutrients acquisition (SLA and SRL), whereas at higher salt concentrations (100 and 150 mM), plants favor carbon allocation to leaves and roots (LMF and RMF) in detriment of their surfaces. PCA analysis also showed that L. creticus plants subjected to saline treatment were distinguished from the remaining Lotus species. Based on our results and previous studies, we suggest that observed augmentated carbon partition to leaves and roots, could constitute a salt-alleviating mechanism by toxic ions dilution.