Response of photosystem II and photosyntheticpigments to salt and Baikal EM1 in tree seedlings

Abstract

The aim of the present research is to determine the effect of Baikal-EM1 preparation on photosystem II (PS II) activity and the synthesis of chlorophylls by tree seedlings in conditions of salt stress. This work reports, for the first time, the investigation of the influence of a preparation of effective microorganisms on the activity of PS II and the chlorophylls in the leaves of Gleditschia triacanthos L. and Abies nordmanniana Karst in conditions of salt stress. The methods used for the analyses of the structural components of these species allow the estimation of the condition of PS II and chlorophylls in normal plants and those that are subjected to salt stress. The analytical methods can also be used for diagnosing the resistance of plants to the action of salts. The results showed that salt stress appears to inhibit the activity of PS II and the synthesis of chlorophylls. The use of Baikal EM1 in both kinds of tree seedlings reduced the inhibiting effects of NaCl. The results obtained are a positive contribution to the effort to improve the salt resistance of seedlings, in that they increased our understanding of plants' resistance to the action of salts and identified an approach that increased the adaptive potential of the plants.