Morphogenetic responses of Populus alba L. under salt stress

The morphogenetic responses to salt stress of Tunisian Populas alba clones were studied in order to promote their plantation in damaged saline areas. One year-old plants of three P. alba clones (MA-104, MA-195 and OG) were subjected to progressive salt stress by irrigation during two consecutive years. The plants were grown in a nursery, inside plastic receptacles containing sandy soil and were irrigated with tap water (control) or 3-6 g/l NaCl solution. During this study, leaf epinasty, elongation rate, vigor, internode length, plant architecture, and number of buds were evaluated. Test clone response was highly dependent on the applied treatment and degree of accommodation. The most pronounced alterations were induced under 6g/l of NaCl treatment including leaf epinasty, leaf elongation rate delay, vigor decrease, internode length shortening, and morphogenetic modifications. These responses were less noticeable in the MA-104 clone with respect to the two other clones. The salt effect induced a delay in the leaf elongation rate on the MA-195 and OG clones leading to an early leaf maturity. The vigour and internode length of the MA-104 clone was less affected than the other clones. The OG clone was the most salt-sensitive thus, it developed shorter branches and more buds number than MA-195 and MA-104. The effect of long-term salt stress was to induce early flowering of the P. alba clones which suggests that mechanism of salt accommodation could be developed.