ABSTRACT
In hydroponic system the physiological mechanisms of perception and tolerance to salt stress of citrus hybrids was studied. The experiment was carried out in greenhouse at the Center of Agrifood Science and Technology - CCTA, Federal University of Campina Grande, Pombal, PB, Brazil. A randomized block design was used in a factorial scheme (2x5), with two water salinity levels of solution (0.3 and 4.0 dS m-1) and five hybrids with potential for use as citrus rootstocks [HTR - 069, HTR - 116, HTR - 127, LCR x TR - 001 and TSKC x (LCR x TR) - 040)], with three replications. The hybrids were grown in hydroponic system, using Leonard’s pots and Hoagland’s solution. The application of salinized solution was started at 90 days after sowing, when the gas exchange and PSII fluorescence were evaluated at 0, 24 and 48 hours after imposition of treatments, in order to determine the time interval for beginning of salt stress by physiological aspects. The initial fluorescence, stomatal conductance and water use efficiency were the variables that best described the perception of stress in this study. The hybrid TSKC x (LCR x TR) - 040 proved to be more tolerant to salinity, followed by hybrid HTR - 069. The hybrid LCR x TR - 001 was the most sensitive to salinity, due to damages in its PSII activity.
Key words:
Citrus spp.; Poncirus; Hoagland solution; gas exchange