Olive tree (Olea europaea L. cv. "Chemlali") under salt stress:: Water relations and ions content

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects 4 salt stress on water relations and ions content of the Chemali Olive Cultivar (Oleo europaea L.) growth under field conditions in Sfax. Tunisia. Twelve-year-old olive trees were subjected to two drip irrigated treatments. The First is fresh water (EC of 1.2 dS m(-1), control plants, CP) and the second is saline water (EC 7 dS m(-1). stressed plants, SP). Leaf water relations were decreased due to salt stress. At predawn, it is of -1.4 MPa in SP and only -0.6 MPa in CP. The concentrations of Na+ and Cl- ions were higher in issues of SP. However, both Na+ and Cl- in salt stressed roots were higher than in stilt stressed leaves. Salinity in root zone led to a significant decrease in K+ concentration in both leaf and root tissues of stressed plants. The Chemlali olive tree tends to cope with salt stress conditions by decreasing enormously its leaf water potentials and excluding the major part of salt ions at the root level. These mechanisms are developed in order to activate water uptake and to avoid salt ions accumulation in activity growing tissues. .