Tolerance of gametophytes of Acrostichum aureum (L.) to salinity and water stress

Abstract

Tolerance of gametophytes of Acrostichum aureum to NaCl and dehydration was investigated under controlled conditions following the changes in chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (F(v)/F(m), q(p), q(N)). Salt tolerance was increased by growing gametophytes in low concentrations of NaCl. However, such treatment could not increase the tolerance of gametophytes to dehydration. Under water stress, a decrease in photochemical quenching (q(p)) was accompanied by an increase in non-photochemical quenching (q(N)). Under salt stress, q(p) also decreased, but q(N) did not change significantly in salt-hardened gametophytes.