Chlorophyll content index and leaf area of some tomato local cultivars from N-E Romania, under salt stress

Abstract

Soil salinity is an important abiotic stress factor seriously affecting plant productivity and survival. Photosynthesis and growt of many plants are inhibited under NaCl salinity. The research was conducted under greenhouse condition. The biological material was represented by four local tomatoes populations collected from areas with saline soils from Moldavia region and compared with commercial type salt-tolerant tomato. Tomato genotypes in the study were subjected to salt stress for a period of 30 days is constantly wetted with saline solution to a concentration of 100 mM and 200 mM. The chlorophyll content was determinated whit chlorophyll meter and the leaf area with portable scanner AreaMeter AM 300 – 0002. Analyzed the results based on biphasic model of growth response under salt stress proposed by Munns (1993), and found that tomatoes reacted similarly. The transition from phase I to phase II, is done by salt stress intensity, but mostly by cultivated genotype.