Responses of gas exchange, chlorophyll synthesis and ROS-scavenging systems to salinity stress in two ramie (Boehmeria nivea L.) cultivars

Ramie (Boehmeria nivea L.) is an important crop that serves as fine fiber material, high protein feedstuff, and valuable herbal medicine in China. However, increasing salinity in soil limits the productivity. We investigated in a greenhouse experiment responses to salinity in two ramie cultivars, Chuanzhu-12 (salt-tolerant cultivar, ST) and Xiangzhu-2 (salt-sensitive cultivar, SS), to elucidate the salt tolerance mechanism of this species. Salinity stress substantially reduced both chlorophyll and carotenoid contents. In addition, net photosynthesis, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentration, and the ratio of intercellular CO2 to ambient CO2 were affected, less in ST. Nevertheless, salinity stress markedly improved water use efficiency and intrinsic water use efficiency in both species. Moreover, relative water contents, soluble proteins, and catalase activity were substantially impaired, while proline accumulation and superoxide dismutase activity were enhanced substantially, more in ST. Furthermore, noteworthy increase in peroxidase activity and decrease in malondialdehyde content was recorded in ST, whereas, in SS, these attributes changed conversely. Overall, the cultivar ST exhibited salt tolerance due to its higher photosynthetic capacity, chlorophyll content, antioxidative enzyme activity, and nonenzymatic antioxidants, as well as reduced lipid peroxidation and maintenance of the tissue water content. This revealed the salt tolerance mechanism of ramie plants for adaptation to salt affected soil.