Plant growth, metabolism and adaptation in relation to stress conditions. Vii. Respiration, nitrogen and proline contents in french bean and maize plants as influenced by salinity

Abstract

Carbon dioxide production by seedlings, whole plants and leaves of French bean and of maize showed progressively greater increases with increasing concentrations of Na2S04 added to the basal medium. Also, in response to salinization, marked changes in the total amount and in the relative composition of the nitrogen pool were observed. Thus, whereas proline as well as amino- and total soluble -N contents increased, contents of protein- and total -N decreased; the magnitude of these changes appeared to be a function of the concentration of Na2S04 used. Irregular changes were observed for ammonia- and nitrate-N