Journal

Journal of Applied Horticulture, 19(3): 245-248, 2017 Appl

The role of salt (NaCl) stress on seed germination, growth and

proline content of some tomato varieties

Nurul Aini, Wiwin Sumiya D.Y. and Adi Setiawan

Agriculture Faculty, University of Brawijaya, Jl. Veteran, Malang, East Java, Indonesia, 65145.
*E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract
The tomato production continuously needs to be improved to fulfill the demand of food industry and medicine. The soil salinity is a
limiting factor in germination, growth and production of tomatoes. Therefore, screening was done using salt-tolerant tomato to examine
the tolerance mechanism of some tomato varieties. Six tomatoes varieties, i.e., Betavilla, Permata, Servo, Tymoty, Mutia, and Patma
were tested using various NaCl concentrations in the growth medium. The germination and growth rate of the varieties on a range
of salt conditions were examined to find varieties that were resistant to salt. This study showed that Permata, Servo, and Mutia are
more tolerant to the salt when compared with Betavilla, Tymoty, and Patma. Moreover, salt-sensitive varieties accumulated proline in
leaf higher than saline-tolerance one. The condition suggested that mechanism of salt-tolerance in the varieties is other than proline
accumulation. Further study is require to understand the salt-tolerant mechanism in tomatoes.
Key word: Salt stress, NaCl, tomato varieties, chlorophyll, proline, Na+/K+Leaves

Introduction variety of plant (Alikhani et al., 2011). The aim of the research
was to understand the response of six varieties of tomato plants
Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum L.) is a valuable commodity to saline stress (NaCl) and to examine the mechanism of saline
as source material for the processed food industry and medicine. tolerance.
Tomato is rich in nutrients such as vitamins, mineral, and
antioxidants. The expansion of planting area into the peripheral Materials and methods
area including saline land can be an alternative for increasing
tomato production. Approximately 800 million hectares of land Influence of saline stress on germination rate: The effect
are affected by high salt concentrations throughout the world of saline stress on germination rate was studied in factorial
(Munns, 2002). However, a high level of salinity frequently completely randomized design. Seeds of six tomato varieties
encountered severe constraints to growth of tomato. Salinity of Betavilla, Permata, Servo, Tymoty, Mutia, and Patma were
can affect germination and seedling growth either by creating an soaked in water for 3-5 hours and then soaked in warm water for
osmotic pressure that prevents water uptake or by the toxic effects 30 minutes. The seeds were sown in Petri dishes (50 seeds each
of sodium and chloride ions (Hopper et al., 1979). Therefore, petri dish) that contained NaCl (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 g L-1). Percentage
cultivation of tomato on saline land requires a profound of germination (GP) was calculated using the formula: GP =
understanding of the variation and physiological characters and [(Total germinated seed/ Total number of seed) x 100] (Ashraf
their mechanisms. and Foolad, 2005).
Salt stress can reduce productivity and chlorophyll content of Influence of salt stress on growth rate: The experiment was
chickpeas leaves (Garg and Singla, 2004) and influence the arranged using Split-Plot Design. The main plots were six tomato
ability of seed germination of pepper (Hassen et al., 2014). The varieties of Betavilla, Permata, servo, Tymoty, Mutia, and Patma.
application of NaCl 2.4 dSm-1 may affect the leaf area of tomato Stress was created with concentrations of NaCl (0, 2, 4, 6, and
and increasing salinity level gradually until 4.8 dS-1 (NaCl) 8 g L-1). Overall, there were 40 combinations of treatment, with
reduces vegetative growth, yield and quality characteristics three repetition. Each treatment consisted of six plants so that
(Siregar et al., 2013). Other report stated the application of 0-750 the total crop was 720 plants. The experiment was carried out
ppm NaCl effects on the early growth of seedlings (Siregar et in the greenhouse at an altitude of 303 m above sea level with
al., 2013). an average temperature of 27-29°C. Two seeds of each variety
The high concentration of salt is environmental stress affecting were sown in each of plastic containers (8-9 cm), then seeds were
plant productivity (Gharbi et al., 2017), which stimulates water covered with planting medium and watered to keep them moist.
deficit and oxidative damage in plants (Munns, 2002; James Maintenance at the nursery included irrigation, pest, and disease
et al., 2011). The tolerance to salinity varies for every phase control under field conditions. When the tomato seedlings were
of growth, and varieties of tomato (Aini et al., 2012; Guan et ready to be planted, they were transferred into polybags filled
al., 2010). Salt-tolerant plants can grow more efficiently under with non-saline soil media as much as 6 kg. The seedlings were
saline conditions (Foolad, 2004). The study and identification of treated with salt stress on 7 DAP (day after planting) by applying
the mechanisms of the tolerance of plants under salinity stress a solution of NaCl as per treatment with the appropriate volume
conditions will be very useful for the breeder to select a tolerant till it reached field capacity.
Journal of Applied Horticulture (www.horticultureresearch.net)
 246 Salt stress influence on seed germination, growth, and proline content of some tomato varieties

The plants maintenance included thinning, replanting, fertilization, the tomato. This result is similar to previous reports (Abari et
irrigation, weeding and diseases control. Plants thinning was done al., 2011; Hassen et al., 2014; Kurniasih, 2013). The Permata,
on 6 days after transplanting (DAT) by leaving plants that grew Servo, and Mutia varieties had high germination percentage
well. Dead plants were replaced with new seedlings. Fertilization that was respectively 86.67, 90 and 90.83% at the highest salt
was applied 7 DAT with NPK fertilizer. Irrigation used tap water concentration treatment (8 g L-1). Whereas, the lowest germination
7 DAT; the later irrigation used a solution of salt (NaCl) with a percentage was shown by the variety Timoty (3.67%) (Fig. 1B).
concentration according to treatment. Irrigation was continued The result indicated that varieties Permata, Servo and Mutia have
using tap water after maintaining the EC of the medim as per more tolerance against saline compared with others. The saline
treatment. Weeding was done manually. Pest and disease control stress may hamper absorption of water into the seed that reduces
was done to prevent pests and diseases according to the conditions the germination rate of the tomato.
in the field. The plant height was observed once a week while
Influence of salt stress on growth rate: Saline medium
proline content on leaves and Na+/K+leaves ratios were measured
undoubtedly influenced the growth of tomato four weeks after
once at eight weeks after planting using the slightly modified
plantation (Table 1). The salinity inhibited tomatoe growth
method of Bates et al. (1973). The EC of the planting medium
depending on the dose of NaCl. Further investigation showed
was measured using EC meter started two weeks after planting at
that the saline tolerant varieties of tomatoes (Permata, Servo,
intervals of once a week. Sodium/potassium ratios of the youngest
and Mutia) grew better than other varieties (Table 2). The data
three leaves (Na/KLeaves) were determined by flame photometry
suggested that the high concentration of salt decreased water
at the late vegetative stage. The data were then analyzed using
potential that hampered water imbibitions into the seed and plant.
analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine the effect of the
Water is essential for germination, photosynthesis, and other
treatments applied. If there was a significant difference of
metabolism in the plant. The increasing salinity will deprive
treatment then continued with Least Significant Differences test
water, which will detain germination and growth. Therefore,
of P=0.05.
the saline tolerant varieties have better germination, and growth
faster than other varieties.
Results and discussion Table 1. Effect of salinity (NaCl) levels on plant height of tomato at
Influence of salt stress on germination rate: NaCl application different time of observation
was proved to be successful in maintaining the media salinity Treatment Plant height (cm)
until the end of the experiment (Fig. 1A). The result showed that 2 WAP 3 WAP 4 WAP 5 WAP
saline influenced seed germination depending on the variety of 0 g NaCl l-1 21.14 50.33 62.31c 67.71c
2 g NaCl l-1 18.92 47.06 60.33bc 65.71c
4 g NaCl l-1 19.28 45.97 57.76b 61.57b
6 g NaCl l-1 19.94 44.53 56.83ab 58.90ab
8 g NaCl l-1 20.65 48.36 53.86a 56.17a
LSD (5%) NS NS 3.34 2.89
Different letters in each column show a significant difference at P≤0.05
(*) by Least significant difference. The non-significant difference
represented by NS. WAP =week after planting.

Table 2. Plant height of different varieties of tomato at different time

of observation
Variety Plant height (cm)
2 WAP 3 WAP 4 WAP 5 WAP
Permata 21.93c 48.53bc 60.27c 63.25c
Servo 23.80d 52.00c 62.22c 66.93cd
Mutia 21.67c 48.87bc 61.33c 64.32c
Betavilla 18.53b 46.30b 55.17ab 60.58b
Tymoty 15.43a 42.40a 53.50a 56.78a
Patma 18.55b 45.40ab 56.83b 60.20b
LSD (5%) 2.03 3.88 2.74 2.65
Different letters in each column show a significant difference at P≤0.05
(*) by Least significant difference. WAP = week after planting
Germination (%)

Several reports suggested that plant synthesizes and accumulate

proline under salt stress to maintained osmotic potential (de
Lacerda et al., 2005; Koca et al., 2007; Mansour et al., 2005).
Furthermore, the analysis on the proline content in the tomatoes
under saline stress showed that the content of proline was
associated with salt concentration, the leaf proline content
increased with salinity levels (Fig. 2A). However, the proline
Fig. 1. Changes in EC (dS m -1) with the application of different content is significantly correlated with salt tolerant varieties
concentrations of NaCl (A). Percentage of germination of tomato (Fig. 2B). Proline accumulation in tolerant varieties (Permata,
varieties at different concentrations of NaCl. The Permata, Servo, and
Mutia varieties have tolerance to saline stress indicated by the high Servo and Mutia) was markedly decreased compared to the
percentage of germination at the highest concentration of NaCl (B). sensitive varieties (Fig. 2B). The results are similar with
Journal of Applied Horticulture (www.horticultureresearch.net)
 Salt stress influence on seed germination, growth, and proline content of some tomato varieties 247

A A

B
B

Fig. 3. Na+/K+ of tomato leaves at different levels of NaCl. Na+/K+

increased at high level (6 and 8 g L-1) of NaCl (A), and different varieties
of tomato showed difference ratio of Na+/K+(B)
Fig. 2. Proline content of tomato leaves at different levels of NaCl.
Proline content increased with increasing NaCl level (A), and
accumulated proline content in different varieties of tomato (B). References
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Received: May, 2017; Revised: September, 2017; Accepted: September, 2017

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