Chlorophyll fluorescence as a possible tool for salinity tolerance screening in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

• Published in: Plant physiology (Bethesda) Vol. 104; no. 2; pp. 667 - 673
• Main Authors: Belkhodja, R, Morales, F, Abadia, A, Gomez-Aparisi, J, Abadia, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Rockville, MD American Society of Plant Physiologists 01.02.1994
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Barley; Biological and medical sciences; CHLOROPHYLLE; Chlorophylls; CLOROFILAS; Environmental and Stress Physiology; FEUILLE; FLUORESCENCE; FLUORESCENCIA; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GENOTIPOS; GENOTYPE; Genotypes; HOJAS; HORDEUM VULGARE; Leaves; LUMIERE; LUZ; Optical filters; Plant physiology and development; Plants; SALINIDAD; SALINITE; Salinity; Salt tolerance; TOLERANCE AU SEL; TOLERANCIA A LA SAL; Turgor pressure; VARIEDADES; VARIETE; Water and solutes. Absorption, translocation and permeability; Water; Chlorophyll; Monocotyledones; Hordeum vulgare; Fluorescence; Tolerance; Plant leaf; Cereal crop; Stress; Salinity; Gramineae; Light; Angiospermae; Spermatophyta; Sodium Chlorides
• ISSN: 0032-0889; 1532-2548
• DOI: 10.1104/pp.104.2.667

The application of chlorophyll fluorescence measurements to screening barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes for salinity tolerance has been investigated. Excised barley leaves were cut under water and incubated with the cut end immersed in water or in a 100-mM NaCl solution, either in the dark or in high light. Changes in rapid fluorescence kinetics occurred in excised barley leaves exposed to the saline solution only when the incubation was carried out in the presence of high light. Fluorescence changes consisted of decreases in the variable to maximum fluorescence ratio and in increases in the relative proportion of variable fluorescence leading to point I in the Kautsky fluorescence induction curve. These relative increases in fluorescence at point I appeared to arise from a delayed plastoquinone reoxidation in the dark, since they disappeared after short, far-red illumination, which is known to excite photosystem I preferentially. We show that a significant correlation existed between some fluorescence parameters, measured after a combined salt and high-light treatment, and other independent measurements of salinity tolerance. These results suggest that chlorophyll fluorescence, and especially the relative fluorescence at point I in the Kautsky fluorescence induction curve, could be used for the screening of barley genotypes for salinity tolerance