TY - JOUR A1 - Romero-Aranda, María R. AU - Moya, José L. AU - Tadeo, Francisco R. AU - Legaz, Francisco AU - Primo-Millo, Eduardo AU - Talón, Manuel T1 - Physiological and anatomical disturbances induced by chloride salts in sensitive and tolerant citrus: beneficial and detrimental effects of cations Y1 - 1998 SN - 0140-7791 UR - http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/4441 AB - In citrus, the relative contributions of chloride and cations to growth disturbances induced by salinity are a matter of controversy, Chloride salts (15 mol m(-3) CaCl(2), 30 mol m(-3) CaCl and 30 mol m(-3) KCl) reduced growth and gas exchange parameters, increased leaf damage and abscission and produced anatomical disarrangements and mineral imbalances in seedlings of sensitive Carrizo citrange (Citrus sinensis x Poncirus trifoliata) and tolerant Cleopatra mandarin (Citrus reshni), In both cultivars, Ca(2+) was more beneficial, and K(+) more detrimental, for growth than sodium. Photosynthesis and growth disturbances were highly correlated (P less than or equal to 0.001) with leaf Cl(-) build-up, In the sensitive genotype, Cl(-) was also significantly correlated with several leaf anatomical disarrangements, such as increase in succulence, In comparison with sodium, both calcium and potassium increased leaf Cl(-) content (up to 25 and 69%, respectively). Protective calcium effects were not linked to improvement of photosynthesis, reduction of leaf anatomical disarrangements, or prevention of Cl(-) and Na(+) increases, It is proposed that the ameliorative effects of calcium on citrus grown under salinity are mostly related to reduction of leaf abscission, Collectively, the data suggest a cause-effect relationship between CT build-up and reduced growth, whereas chloride correlations with declines in photosynthesis or increases in succulence appear to be indirect. LA - en ER -