Contrasts between Citrus species in response to salinisation: An analysis of photosynthesis and water relations for different rootstock‐scion combinations

Leaf gas exchange, water relations and ion content were measured on two‐year‐old Valencia orange ( Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck), Washington Navel orange ( C. sinensis ) and Marsh grapefruit ( C. parodisi Macfad) scions budded to either Trifoliata ( Poncirus infoliata L Raf) or Cleopatra mandarin ( C. reticuLua Blanco ) rootstoeks. Trees were watered with dülute nutrient solution containing either 0 or 50 m M NaCl for 77 days. Leaf chloride concentrations (cell sap basis) were higher in all scions budded on “Trifoliata but sodium levels were lower than in equivalent foliage budded on Cleopatra mandarin rootstock. Foliar salt levels also varied according to scion. Leaves of Marsh grapefruit had higher levels of both sodium and chloride than leaves of either Valencia orange or Washington Navel orange on both rootstocks. Accumulation of sodium and chloride in salinised leaves caused a reduction in leaf osmotic potential of 0.2–1.4 MPa. and leaf water potential declined by as much as 0.5 MPa. Turgor pressure in salinised leaves was thus maintained at or above the control level. Osmotic potentials determined by psychrometry compared with pressure‐volume curves were taken to imply that some accumulation of sodium or chloride in the apoplast of salinised leaves may have occurred. Despite turgor maintenance both co2 assimilation and stomatal conductance were reduced by salinity. Following onset of leaf response to salinisation, gas exchange was impaired to a greater extent in scions budded to Cleopatra mandarin compared to those on Trifoliata. Amongst those scions. leaves of salt‐treated Marsh grapefruit showed greater reductions in gas exchange than Valencia orange or Washington Navel orange budded on either rootstock. Increased sensitivity of 1Marsh grapefruit was correlated with a higher foliar sodium and chloride content in this scion. Scion differences in sensitivity of leaf gas exchange to solute concentration were independent of rootstock and appeared unrelated to leaf prolinebetaine concentrations. This implies an inherent difference between scion species with respect to salt tolerance, rather than variation in their capacity to acquire that type of compatible solute. In terms of rootstock effects, all scions proved more sensitive to salinity when budded to Cleopatra mandarin compared with Trifoliata. That response was attributed to a disproportionately higher concentration of leaf sodium in scions on Cleopatra mandarin.