Abstract

Haloxylon salicornicum (Moq.) Bunge ex Boiss. is a suitable species for desert and coastal restoration for its forage production and dune stabilization. Inter-population variation of seed parameters has previously received little attention. Variation in seed germination response to drought and salinity stress was evaluated for three Kuwaiti populations for use in restoration projects. Germination parameters varied significantly among populations. Seeds from Kabd were larger and germinated at a higher percentage than the other two populations, Mutla and Liya, under conditions of saline (62.8%, 40.0%, and 50.7% respectively) and moisture (58.2%, 32.6%, and 45.6%) stress. Increasing salinity and drought simulation progressively inhibited seed germination across all populations. Drought simulation by PEG 6000 inhibited germination from −0.3 MPa, while salinity affected the germination proportion from 400 mM NaCl for all the studied populations. All populations exhibited a high recovery from NaCl and PEG stress, indicating the species is broadly adapted to survival through drought and saline conditions. Our findings indicate that revegetation success with this species will be influenced by the population characteristics of the maternal seed source.

摘要

梭梭（起订量）Bunge ex Boiss。由于其牧草生产和沙丘稳定，是适合沙漠和沿海恢复的物种。种子参数的种群间变异以前很少受到关注。评估了用于恢复项目的三个科威特种群的种子萌发响应对干旱和盐分胁迫的变化。不同种群的发芽参数差异很大。在盐水（分别为 62.8%、40.0% 和 50.7%）和水分（58.2%、32.6% 和 45.6%）条件下，来自 Kabd 的种子比其他两个种群 Mutla 和 Liya 更大且发芽率更高压力。增加盐度和干旱模拟逐渐抑制了所有种群的种子萌发。PEG 6000 的干旱模拟抑制了 -0.3 MPa 的发芽，而盐度会影响所有研究种群的 400 mM NaCl 的发芽比例。所有种群都表现出从 NaCl 和 PEG 胁迫中的高恢复，表明该物种广泛适应干旱和盐碱条件下的生存。我们的研究结果表明，该物种的重新植被成功将受到母本种子源种群特征的影响。