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Abstract

The influence of salinity and drought stress on sodium (Na+), potassium (K+) and proline content of Solanum lycopersicum L. (tomato) cv. Rio Grande was investigated by exposing the plants to five salinity levels i.e., 0 (control), 50, 100, 150 and 200 mM NaCl and four drought regimes i.e. 0 (Control), 2, 4 and 6 days, applied from seedling (4-5 true leaves) to the harvesting stage. The means across salinity levels showed an increase in proline content and Na+ concentration but a reduced K+ concentrations, resulting in high Na+/K+ ratios in shoot and root tissue. In contrast, drought stress decreased the Na+ and K+ content, Na+/K+ ratio but increased the proline content in both the root and shoot tissue. The interaction of salinity and drought significantly affected the sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) contents, Na+/K+ and proline content of the shoot but K+ content and proline accumulation were not significant. The root and shoot tissue of control plants (0 mMNaCl + 0 Days drought stress) had the minimum Na+ content (2316 and 3490 µM/g D.wt.), Na+/ K+ ratio (0.399 and 0.364) and proline content (0.72 and 1.91 µM/g F.wt.) but the highest K+ content (6399 and 9603 µM/g D.wt.). Whereas, the Na+ content increased with salinity, the K+ content declined. It resulted in the maximum Na+/K+ ratio of the root (1.26) and shoot (0.76) with 200 mMNaCl + 0 Days drought stress. The drought stress also increased the Na+/K+ ratio. Thus, the highest Na+/K+ ratio of root (0.78) and shoot (0.77) was recorded in plants grown under 200 mMNaCl+ 6 Days drought stress. The proline content of the root and shoot were 0.462 and 1.904 µM/g F.wt. respectively in control plants which increased with increasing salinity and drought stress duration. Thus, the maximum proline content of root (10.61 µM/g F.wt.) and shoot (28.05 µM/g F.wt.) was recorded in plants exposed to 200 mMNaCl + 6 days drought stress combination.

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