How Sodium Chloride Concentration in the Nutrient Solution Influences the Mineral Composition of Tomato Leaves and Fruits

Summary

Tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Durinta) were grown in an open soilless system to evaluate the effects of sodium chloride (NaCl) concentration in the nutrient solution on the ion compositions in plant tissues. The treatments were defined by a factorial combination of five NaCl concentrations and three leaves position/age and two fruits' position. Seedlings were transplanted in perlite and, 7 days after transplanting, five salinity treatments were imposed by adding 7, 21, 37, 49, or 64 m m of NaCl to the nutrient solutions; the final electrical conductivities were: 2.7, 4.5, 6.0, 7.5, and 8.6 dS·m −1, respectively. Increased salinity in the nutrient solution resulted in a reduction in tomato dry matter (from 534 to 375 g per plant) and in a linear increase in sodium (from 0.37% t