Relationship between the Distribution of Na and the Damages Caused by Salinity in the Leaves of Rice Seedlings Grown under a Saline Condition

The distributions of Na and chlorophyll in the leaves of rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings grown under a saline condition were examined in relation to the anatomical changes caused by salinity. In salt-treated plants, the Na content was higher in older leaves and basal part of the leaf. In the 4th leaf of salt-treated plants, Na content was the highest in the middle part of the leaf sheath and decreased toward the tip of the leaf blade. The chlorophyll content in the 4th leaf was decreased by salt treatment at the tip and middle parts of the leaf blade, whereas it was unaffected in the leaf sheath and at the base of the leaf blade. Electron microscopic studies revealed that salt-treatment caused plasmolysis, vesiculation of cellular membranes and degradation of cytoplasm at the tip of the leaf blade, but scarcely caused such alterations at the base of the leaf blade. The present study suggests that the damage by salinity correlates more strongly with the age of the tissue than the Na content of the tissue.