Ion Accumulation, Chlorophyll and Carotene Levels under Alkalinity Stress in the Leaves of Nitraria schoberi L.

Iran has about 5.8 million hectares of lands irrigated by water, 30 percent of which are threatened by salinity and alkalinity. According to FAO and UNESCO maps, 27.1 million hectares of lands in Iran are exposed to salinity and alkalinity. In this study, the effect of alkalinity stress on the physiological characteristics of Nitraria schoberi was explored under greenhouse conditions in University of Kashan in 2012. The effect of different acidity (pH) of water (in the alkaline range) treatments on the availability of nutrients and a variety of plant chlorophyll and carotene in the Nitraria schoberi were explored in a completely randomized design. The study consisted of five treatments, each with four replications, including control and four stress levels: control (Ctrl,
pH = 7.2), low alkalinity (LAK, pH = 8.5), moderate alkalinity (MAK, pH = 9), high alkalinity (HAK, pH = 9.5) and intense alkalinity (SAK, pH = 10). Sodium, chlorine, magnesium, potassium, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll content (chlorophyll a b), and carotene content parameters in different treatments demonstrated a significant difference in different leave treatments (p