Effects of Sodium Chloride on Water Status and Growth of Sugar Beet

Effects of Sodium Chloride on Water Status and Growth of Sugar Beet 

The effects of sodium chloride on the water status, growth, and physiology of sugar beet subjected to a range of soil water potentials were studied under controlled conditions. Sodium chloride increased plant dry weight and the area, thickness, and succulence of the leaves. It increased the water capacity of the plant, mainly the shoot, but there was no evidence that it altered the relationships between leaf relative water content and the leaf water, osmotic, and turgor potentials or changed the way stomatal conductance and photosynthesis responded to decreasing leaf water potential. 

The greater leaf expansion in sodium-treated plants is thought to be the consequence of adjustments made by leaf cells to accommodate changes in ions and water in a way that minimizes change in water and turgor potentials. It is also suggested that the greater water capacity of treated plants buffers them against deleterious changes in leaf relative water content and water potential under conditions of moderate stress.

Effects of Sodium Chloride on Water Status and Growth of Sugar Beet

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is known for its ability to tolerate salt; however, elevated levels of sodium chloride (NaCl) can adversely affect its growth and water status.

The following outlines the impact of NaCl on the water status and growth of sugar beet:

Water status

Osmotic stress: Elevated NaCl levels in the soil result in a high external osmotic potential, which causes water to exit the plant cells, resulting in dehydration and wilting.

Water capacity: Sugar beet exposed to sodium may exhibit an increased water capacity, particularly in the shoot. This improved water capacity can help the plant withstand moderate water stress by stabilizing changes in leaf relative water content and water potential.

Growth

Reduced growth and yield: High concentrations of NaCl typically lead to a decrease in the growth and yield of sugar beet. This decline is associated with osmotic inhibition of water uptake, ion toxicity due to excessive Na+ and Cl−, disruption of mineral balance, and diminished photosynthetic activity and carbohydrate metabolism.

Leaf characteristics: Salinity can lead to a reduction in the number of leaves, leaf area, and the fresh weight of leaves. Additionally, leaves may curl, deform, and change color. Nevertheless, some research suggests that sodium can enhance leaf area early in the growing season, potentially improving radiation interception and sugar yield.

Root growth: Elevated NaCl concentrations can hinder root elongation and branching, resulting in root dysplasia and altered root distribution.

Adaptation mechanisms of sugar beet

Osmotic adjustment: Sugar beet can sustain cellular osmotic pressure and avert dehydration by synthesizing and accumulating osmoregulatory substances such as proline, soluble sugars, and betaine.

Ion balance regulation: Sugar beet has the capability to absorb and sequester Na+ ions in vacuoles, thereby reducing their toxic effects on vital cellular processes. It can also partially substitute potassium (K+) functions with Na+ in certain circumstances, which may assist in osmotic regulation and enzyme activity.

Antioxidant defense mechanism: The presence of salt stress can initiate the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in oxidative stress. Sugar beet mitigates this effect by bolstering its antioxidant system, which includes enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and catalase (CAT), to eliminate ROS and safeguard cellular integrity.

In summary, NaCl poses a twofold challenge to sugar beet by affecting both its hydration levels and growth. Nevertheless, sugar beet exhibits extraordinary adaptations to withstand salinity, mainly through osmotic adjustment, ion regulation, and improved antioxidant defenses. Ongoing research utilizing "omics" technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) seeks to enhance our comprehension of these processes and facilitate the development of more salt-resistant sugar beet varieties, thereby advancing agricultural practices in saline conditions.

  Sugar water effect plants...

Effects of Sodium Chloride on Water Status and Growth of Sugar Beet Video :

Does sugar help plants grow?

Does sugar assist in the growth of plants?

Occasionally, a small amount of sugar is mixed with water and given to a plant that has wilted due to lack of watering for some time. This sugar can aid the plant in recovering quickly. Nevertheless, this method is not always effective, and there are instances where the plant may be too far gone to be salvaged. Generally, sugar is not added to the water provided to healthy, normal plants. Research indicates that during photosynthesis, plants utilize sugar as a source of energy.

The impact of water loss in wilted plants and cut flowers is a similar phenomenon, characterized by a reduction in turgor pressure (the pressure of water within the cells). While the effects on cut flowers are permanent, a wilted plant may have the potential to revive. Plants possess small openings in their leaves, referred to as stomata, which facilitate the exchange of O2 and CO2, but also lead to the loss of H2O.

In theory, there exists a continuous water column extending from the tip of a plant's roots to its highest leaves (similar to a chain of water molecules). As H2O evaporates from the upper parts, it effectively pulls the chain of water molecules upward from the roots. Provided that this turgor pressure is sustained, the plant will remain upright and not wilt or droop.

However, under conditions of insufficient water and/or elevated temperatures, which lead to increased evaporation from the leaves (a process known as transpiration), the water column may eventually become discontinuous. Nonetheless, when the stomata close, the plant can partially reverse this situation by releasing stored water from adjacent cells, thus restoring the continuity of the water column within the plant. Water also plays a crucial role in photosynthesis, where it is decomposed to provide oxygen, hydrogen ions, and electrons. Its significance in photosynthesis is paramount.

No water no photosynthesis. So what the point? Well, the function of photosynthesis is to produce energy in the form of sugars (e.g. glucose, etc.) In the case of the cut flowers, you are temporarily breaking the water column in the plant, which is why you are supposed to cut the stems under water with something sharp. The cut flowers are immediately put into a vase full of water or even cut in this container. 

A sugar, antioxidant and anti-microbial agent (the little packets that come with cut-flowers) is poured into the vase. This solution replenishes the plants food supplies temporarily, since the water column was disrupted and food may have been lost. Flowers last much longer in the sugary solution, than in plain tap water or deionized water for that matter. Also, cutting the flowers after a day or to increases the water transport/transpiration potential of the plant. In the case of the wilted plant, sugar might temporarily help the plant, but in the absence of water any effect will be trivial and short-lived. The plant can make its own food when intact. It can't make its own water. Sugar Water Effect Plants... 

How-does-sugar-water-affect-growth-in.plants ?

Does sugar help plants grow? VIDEO :