High salt levels stunt plant growth, but adaptation mechanisms revealed.
The researchers studied how Kostelezkya virginica seeds and seedlings grow under salt stress. They used different levels of salt in the water the plants were grown in. They found that as the salt concentration increased, fewer seeds germinated. Seedlings grew better in lower salt levels, with more chlorophyll and root activity. However, high salt levels caused poor growth and lower chlorophyll levels. The plants adapted to salt stress by changing their physiological characteristics.