Effects of salt, alkali and salt–alkali mixed stresses on seed germination of the halophyte Salsola ferganica (Chenopodiaceae)

Salsola ferganica L. (Chenopodianceae) is an annual halophytic species. Experiments were carried out in laboratory to determine the effects of temperature, perianths and various types of salinity on seed germination and germination recovery. Seeds were germinated at 6 levels of temperature with perianths, plus perianths and removed perianths in complete darkness for 9 days. The germination responses of the seeds without perianths at 25 °C were determined over a wide range of NaCl, NaHCO3 or NaCl–NaHCO3 mixed stress for 13 days. Perianths seriously affected germination as a barrier for seed germination and the optimal temperature was at 25 °C. Highest germination percentage was obtained under control and seed germination was progressively inhibited with the increase of salinity concentration. The negative effect of NaHCO3 at the same concentration on germination was stronger than that of NaCl and NaCl–NaHCO3 mixed. When substrate salinity was removed, seeds exposed to a high NaCl concentration (400–800 mM), NaHCO3 (50–200 mM) and NaCl–NaHCO3 mixed (100–400 mM) germinated well. Final germination of Salsola ferganica seeds was significantly affected by types of salt at the low salinity (⩽200 mM) and with increased salinity it was influenced mainly by salinity concentration for various proportion of salt–alkali mixed stress.