title: Salicylic acid alleviates the adverse effects of salt stress in Torreya grandis cv. Merrillii seedlings by activating photosynthesis and enhancing antioxidant systems.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Salt stress is a major factor limiting plant growth and productivity. Salicylic acid (SA) has been shown to ameliorate the adverse effects of environmental stress on plants. To investigate the protective role of SA in ameliorating salt stress on Torreya grandis (T. grandis) trees, a pot experiment was conducted to analyze the biomass, relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll content, net photosynthesis (Pn), gas exchange parameters, relative leakage conductivity (REC), malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) of T. grandis under 0.2% and 0.4% NaCl conditions with and without SA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The exposure of T. grandis seedlings to salt conditions resulted in reduced growth rates, which were associated with decreases in RWC and Pn and increases in REC and MDA content. The foliar application of SA effectively increased the chlorophyll (chl (a+b)) content, RWC, net CO2 assimilation rates (Pn), and proline content, enhanced the activities of SOD, CAT and POD, and minimized the increases in the REC and MDA content. These changes increased the capacity of T. grandis in acclimating to salt stress and thus increased the shoot and root dry matter. However, when the plants were under 0% and 0.2% NaCl stress, the dry mass of the shoots and roots did not differ significantly between SA-treated plants and control plants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SA induced the salt tolerance and increased the biomass of T. grandis cv. by enhancing the chlorophyll content and activity of antioxidative enzymes, activating the photosynthetic process, and alleviating membrane injury. A better understanding about the effect of salt stress in T. grandis is vital, in order gain knowledge over expanding the plantations to various regions and also for the recovery of T. grandis species in the future.
authors.affiliation: Nurturing Station for the State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A & F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, P. R. China; School of Forestry & Biotechnology, Zhejiang A & F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Nurturing Station for the State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A & F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, P. R. China; School of Forestry & Biotechnology, Zhejiang A & F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: China National Bamboo Research Center, Hangzhou, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xuhua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Nurturing Station for the State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A & F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, P. R. China; School of Forestry & Biotechnology, Zhejiang A & F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Nurturing Station for the State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A & F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, P. R. China; School of Forestry & Biotechnology, Zhejiang A & F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Chaohua
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Nurturing Station for the State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A & F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, P. R. China; School of Forestry & Biotechnology, Zhejiang A & F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jiasheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D020156:Salicylic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055049:Salt Tolerance; D036226:Seedlings / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D032490:Taxaceae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002734:Chlorophyll; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002374:Catalase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D020156:Salicylic Acid