The aim of this study was to identify the impact of salinity on ion accumulation and organic compounds related to N metabolism of dwarf cashew (CCP06). After 22 days of sowing. the plants were irrigated with nutrient solution free of (control) or supplied with 25, 50, 75 and 100 mM NaCl, during 30 days. The salinity reduced total dry matter production without significantly affecting water content of leaves.The concentrations of Na+ and Cl- in the tissues reached toxic level and that of K+ increased in shoot and decreased in roots. Increasing salinity decreased K+/Na+ ratios of both shoot and root. On the 10th day of experiment, symptoms of early senescence were observed and were associated with reduction of leaf total N (proteins) and contents of chlorophylls a and b with increase in contents of N-fractions such as proline and total soluble amino acids. The data indicate that dwarf cashew plants are sensitive to NaCl levels utilized probably due to strong disturbance in the ionic homoeostasis with implications on the general metabolism of N.
osmotic stress; toxicity; organic solutes
