Introduction: Using brackish water for irrigation may expose turfgrasses to salinity stress. Employing the best treatments to maintain high-quality turfs under saline conditions is an important requirement for turfgrass management.
Methods: We tested the response of a halophyte grass, Puccinellia distans, to irrigation with saline solutions and to foliar application of two osmoprotectants, such as glycine betaine (GB) or chitosan (CH). Plants were grown in pots under controlled conditions and irrigated with 200 mM or 600 mM of NaCl solutions. The response to salinity treatments and osmoprotectant application was evaluated after 90 days by measuring leaf firing, leaf density, shoot length and biomass, root length, and shoot water potential.
Results: Increasing salinity reduced shoot density, shoot and root length, shoot water potential, and increased leaf firing and shoot solute potential at 200 mM of NaCl. These effects were more pronounced at 600 mM of NaCl. Application of GB greatly increased shoot growth traits at 200 mM of NaCl and also showed beneficial effects on most traits at 600 mM. Application of CH showed positive effects only on leaf firing and leaf water potential at 600 mM.
Conclusions: Our results show that P. distans can tolerate high levels of salt stress, which can be best alleviated by GB treatment.
Keywords: Puccinellia distans; chitosan; glycine betaine; salt stress; turfgrass.
© 2019. Akadémiai Kiadó Zrt.