Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2019, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (10): 909-920.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2019.0235

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of different calcium concentrations on growth and physiology of Paspalum wettsteinii seedlings

ZHAO Xin1,WANG Wen-Juan1,WANG Pu-Chang2,3,HUANG Li-Juan1,ZHAO Li-Li1,2,*()   

  1. 1Department of Grassland Science, College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
    2Key Laboratory of Mountain Plant Resources Protection and Germplasm Innovation Ministry of Education, Guiyang 550025, China
    3Guizhou Institute of Prataculture, Guiyang 550006, China
  • Online:2019-10-20 Published:2020-02-24
  • Contact: ZHAO Li-Li
  • Supported by:
    the National Key R&D Program of China(2016YFC0502607-04);the Science and Technology Program of Guizhou Province(字[2016]3002号)

Abstract:

Aims The study about the effects of different calcium concentrations on the growth and physiology of Paspalum wettsteinii seedlings is very important to reveal the adaptive mechanism of Paspalum wettsteinii to the environment with different calcium concentrations. Methods Potted sand culture was used to study the effects of different calcium concentrations (0, 5, 25, 50, 100 and 200 mmol·L-1 CaCl2) and different treatment times (7, 14, 21 and 28 d) on the growth, osmotic regulator content, antioxidant enzyme activity, chlorophyll content and photosynthetic parameters of Paspalum wettsteinii seedlings. Important findings Results showed that, with the increase of the CaCl2 concentration and the extension of treatment time, the morphological indexes, biomass, osmotic regulators content, antioxidant enzyme activity, chlorophyll content and photosynthetic parameters of Paspalum wettsteinii seedlings displayed a similar trend of first increasing and then decreasing. Under the low calcium concentrations (5-50 mmol·L-1), plant height, leaf length, leaf width, root length and biomass all increased. The contents of proline, soluble protein, soluble sugar and the activities of peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate and stomatal conductance increased as well, but, malondialdehyde content and intercellular CO2 concentration decreased. Under the high calcium concentrations (200 mmol·L-1), the contents of proline, soluble protein, soluble sugar and the activities of peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase decreased. Malondialdehyde content and intercellular CO2 concentration increased as well, but chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate and stomatal conductance decreased. Combined with the membership function analysis, the treatment of low calcium concentrations (5-50 mmol·L-1) had no inhibitory effect on the seedlings of Paspalum wettsteinii, indicating that Paspalum wettsteinii had certain tolerance to low calcium salt stress. Under the treatment of high calcium concentration (200 mmol·L-1), Paspalum wettsteinii seedlings could rapidly regulate the physiological and metabolic functions of plants by increasing the content of organic osmotic regulating substances, enhancing enzyme activity, chlorophyll content and photosynthesis, so as to adapt to high calcium concentration environment.

Key words: Paspalum wettsteinii, calcium concentrations, growth, physiological