Effect of salt stress on phosphorus and sodium absorptions by soybean plants

The radiotracer methodology was combined with the Hoagland solution culture of growing soybean in a greenhouse to investigate the absorptions of phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), and sodium (Na) as a function of salinity. Salt stress was varied by using zero to 120 mM NaCl. The research was initiated because of a need to increase soybean production in the saline soils of the semi-arid regions of the world. Although P absorption increased with time at each concentration of NaCl, increasing its concentrations ([NaCl]) to 120 mM reduced P uptake considerably. The addition of inorganic P (Pi) to the salt medium improved P absorption significantly (P < 0.0001) in stem, petiole, and roots. Polynomial regressions showed the relationship between 22Na activity and [NaCl] for leaves and petiole to be cubic (R2 = 1) while in the stem a quadratic relationship prevailed. A maximum of P and Na absorption was observed at 40 mM NaCl. The relationship between 32P activity and increasing [NaCl] was linear for the roots (a positive slope) and the stem (a negative slope). 45Ca and 32P dual labelling part of the experiments failed to produce results because an unexpectedly high degree of tissue quenching which prevented from obtaining the minimum counting requirements for separation. Shoot fresh and dry weights decreased linearly with increasing [NaCl] as did the root fresh and dry weights. Leaf chlorophyll content during the last week of the final harvest showed a linear relationship with time. Chlorophyll increased with time linearly when the growth medium contained zero and 40 mM NaCl; whereas a negative slope was obtained for 80 and 120 mM NaCl. It seems that P fertilization of the soil could ameliorate the salt effect. 22 Na uptake results indicated that there is a mechanism for exclusion of Na from soybean plant parts