Salinity and hormone interactions in affecting growth, transpiration and ionic relations of Phaseolus vulgaris

Abstract

Addition of either abscisic acid (ABA) or kinetin at 10-6 M to salinized media (20-120mM NaCl) induced remarkable effects on growth of Phaseolus vulgaris plants. Whereas ABA inhibited the plant growth and the rate of transpiration, kinetin induced stimulation of both parameters. Moreover, ABA increased proline and phosphorus concentrations in the salinized plants whilst kinetin decreased them. ABA induced stimulation of the transport of K, Ca and Cl from root to shoot, accumulation of K, Na and Cl in root cells and inhibits the transport of Na and accumulation of Ca. Kinetin appeared to inhibit the transport and accumulation of Na and Cl, transport of K, and stimulates the accumulation of K and Ca as well as the transport of Ca. The highest influence of both ABA and kinetin was mostly observed when these hormones were used in combination with the highest concentration of NaCl (120 mM) in the medium. © 1994 Institute of Experimental Botany.