Effect of different salts of sodium and potassium on the growth of Atriplex prostrata (Chenopodiaceae)

Although there are a variety of ions occurring in the soil throughout most of North America, the majority of halophyte literature focuses on the effects of NaCl on plants. In this study, a comparison is made of the effects of NaCl, KCl, Na2SO4, and K2SO4 on growth of the halophyte Atriplex prostrata Boucher ex DC (SYN: A. triangularis Willd.) at 0, -0.75, -1.00, and -1.50 MPa. Plant survival, height, number of leaves, nodes, and branches were recorded weekly. Photosynthesis was measured once before plants were harvested and dry mass was determined after one month. Content of Na+, K+, Mg2+, and Cl- in plant tissue was also measured. A general trend observed was that all plant growth parameters decreased with a lowering of the medium osmotic potential, and that K+ salts were more inhibitory than Na+ salts. Ion content of plant tissue generally increased with a lowering of osmotic potential. Our data indicated that K+, a plant macronutrient, was more inhibitory to plant growth than Na+. It is possible that halophytes such as Atriplex prostrata could use Na+ as an osmoticum to adjust the vacuolar water potential, but were unable to use K+ for this function because of a specific ion toxicity. The inhibitory effect of salt on plant growth parameters and survival follow the pattern; K2SO4>KCl>Na2SO4=NaCl.