Effects of NaCl stress on Hovenia dulcis and Gleditsia sinensis seedlings growth, chlorophyll fluorescence, and active oxygen metabolism

With potted Hovenia dulcis and Gleditsia sinensis seedlings as test materials, their plant growth, chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics, and active oxygen metabolism under stress of different concentration (0, 0.15%, 0.30%, 0.45%, and 0.60%) NaCl were studied. The results showed that with increasing concentration of NaCl, the plant growth, leaf chlorophyll content, photochemical efficiency of PS II (Fv/Fm), quantum yield of PS II (phi(PS II)), and photochemical quenching (q(P)) decreased gradually, while the non-photochemical quenching of fluorescence (q(N)) was in adverse. After 10 days of 0. 15% NaCl stress, the leaf chlorophyll content, Fv/Fm, phi(PS II), and q(P) of H. dulcis seedlings decreased by 19.77%, 2.94%, 29.03%, and 8.16%, respectively, with significant differences (P