SOLUTE CONTENTS IN ROOTS AND ROOT CALLI OF NACL-TOLERANT AND NACL-SENSITIVE TISSUES OF LYCOPERSICON

Biomass, relative growth rate (RGR), organic and inorganic solute contents in control and NaCl (50 - 100 mM) affected roots or calli of the wild tomato genotype Lycopersicon pennellii and the Lycopersicon esculentum wilty mutant flacca were compared. Under NaCl-stress, the RGR of calli from L. pennellii was higher than that of the mutant flacca, while the root biomass of the former was lower than that of the latter. Constant water contents were found in calli and roots, irrespective of the genotypes and NaCl concentrations. Taking into account the solute contents of the apoplasm, Na+ accumulation was similar in the sensitive tissues (calli from L. flacca, roots of L. pennellii) and the tolerant ones (calli from L. pennellii, flacca roots). Decreased K+ and Mg2+ and increased proline contents were found in both sensitive tissues. In comparison with sensitive L. pennellii roots, salt sensitive flacca calli showed increased total organic acid and amino acid contents.