Edith Taleisnik

National Scientific and Technical Research Council, CONICET, Argentina

Approximately 1 billion ha of the global land surface is currently salt-affected, representing about 7% of the earth’s land surface. Whereas most of it results from natural geochemical processes, an estimated 30% of irrigated lands globally are salt-affected through secondary human-induced salinization. Application of lower quality, alternative irr...

The type and characteristics of native and introduced vegetation prevailing in any environment or landscape depends on the features of the elements that integrate it (soil, groundwater, and geomorphology), as well as the way it is hydrologically associated to other environments. The negative effects of soil salinity and sodicity on plant growth and...

This chapter addresses salt tolerance mechanisms in crops and woody species cultivated in Argentina, highlighting the contribution of local research to these topics. Work on forages and woody species represents approximately half of this research that has been published by Argentine authors in international journals. Basic research on plant salinit...

Native plant genetic resources have evolved from long processes of natural selection and adaptation to specific environments, and have developed tolerance to various stresses prevailing in their natural habitats via adaptive morphophysiological features. The associations between environmental stress conditions (aridity degree and salinity) prevaili...

This is the first report about Na and K fluxes and heritability of Na exclusion in the Elymus genus. Argentine wheatgrass [Elymus scabrifolius (Döll) J.H. Hunz.] is an important forage genetic resource for saline environments. A previous study showed that salt‐sensitive lines accumulated toxic levels of Na in shoots. The aim of this study was to in...

This chapter addresses salt tolerance mechanisms in crops and woody species cultivated in Argentina, highlighting the contribution of local research to these topics. Work on forages and woody species represents approximately half of this research, that has been published by Argentine authors in international journals. Basic research on plant-salini...

The use of wild halophytic species as forage resources in saline environments has gained increasing attention. Argentina ranks third in area of saline soils in the world, with a third of its territory showing various degrees of salinity, sodicity and/or alkalinity. On this type of soils, rangelands are the main forage resource for livestock product...

Soil alkalinity is a significant limitation to agricultural productivity and it is associated to several soil features, among them, Fe deficiencies. In this work, we explored the hypothesis that alkalinity tolerance in Sorghum bicolor is related to Fe-deficiency tolerance and its underlying mechanisms. An initial screening involving 8 sorghum genot...

Los efectos negativos de la salinidad, alcalinidad y sodicidad sobre el crecimiento de las plantas y el rendimiento de los cultivos han sido reconocidos como un problema agrícola desde tiempos inmemoriales. Las bases conceptuales de las respuestas fisiológicas de las plantas a la salinidad, definidas en la segunda mitad del siglo XX, continúan vige...

Alkaline and saline–alkaline soils impose severe restrictions on plant growth. Panicum coloratum var. coloratum is a perennial C4 forage grass widely used in tropical and subtropical environments. Published information on its responses to alkaline soil conditions is scarce. The objectives of this study were (i) to characterize the effects of alkali...

The Argentine Society of Plant Physiology (SAFV) was founded in December 1958 and it will soon be 60 years old. It was started as the discipline was just emerging in the country, and today Plant Physiology research is carried out by productive and enthusiastic groups all over Argentina. The history of the SAFV had not been documented before. Edith...

Depending on their depth, watertables can have a positive effect on plants by supplying water, a negative effect by creating waterlogged and/or saline conditions or a neutral effect. Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana), a tropical perennial forage adapted to saline soils, floods and droughts, is a viable choice for the lowlands in the Pampas region of Ar...

This work assessed intracultivar variability for salt tolerance within Panicum coloratum cv. Klein, explored some physiological parameters potentially associated with it and evaluated the contribution of cell division and expansion to the decreased leaf length observed under salinity. Individual plants that had survived severe stress environments i...

Drought is the most important crop yield-limiting factor and detailed knowledge of its impact on plant growth regulation is crucial. The maize leaf growth zone offers unique possibilities for studying the spatio-temporal regulation of developmental processes by transcriptional analyses and methods that require more material such as metabolite and e...

The Poaceae is one of the most important Angiosperm families, in terms of morphological diversity, ecology and economic importance. Species within this family show a very wide variation in terms of salinity tolerance. Salt secretion through salt glands plays a significant role in regulating ion balance, contributing to salinity tolerance. This revi...

Is Plant Science regarded as a socially valuable activity? Is the support to Plant Science adequate and effective? Can the current research enterprise provide effective support to the agricultural sector? This type of questions have driven the analyses included in this lecture. Investment in agriculture-related research topics and specifically in P...

A group of sunflower lines that exhibit a range of leaf Na(+) concentrations under high salinity was used to explore whether the responses to the osmotic and ionic components of salinity can be distinguished in leaf expansion kinetics analysis. It was expected that at the initial stages of the salt treatment, leaf expansion kinetics changes would b...

Soil salinity and sodicity have long been major constraints to increasing crop production in many parts of the world. The introduction of salt-tolerant perennial species is one of the most promising alternatives to overcome salinity problems. Cenchrus ciliaris (L.) is a highly drought-tolerant species but there are few available reports on its salt...

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) has been rated as moderately salt-resistant, and variability for salt resistance has been detected within this crop. However, variability in salt-resistance mechanisms has not been assessed. Osmotic tolerance, the relation of salt resistance with whole-plant Na+ and K+ distribution and tissue Na+ tolerance were inve...

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) participate in signaling events that regulate ion channel activity and gene expression. However, excess ROS exert adverse effects that stem from their interaction with macromolecules. Thus, the assessment of the effects of salinity on ROS changes are central to understanding how plants respond and cope with this stress...

Tipburn in lettuce is a physiological disorder expressed as a necrosis in the margins of young developing leaves and is commonly observed under saline conditions. Tipburn is usually attributed to Ca(2+) deficiencies, and there has very limited research on other mechanisms that may contribute to tipburn development. This work examines whether sympto...

RESUMEN. La salinidad es una preocupación en la Argentina que, ocupa el tercer lugar después de Rusia y Australia en cuanto a la superficie del suelo afectado por la salinidad. El propósito de esta revisión es indicar la contribución de los científicos argentinos en el tema general de las plantas leñosas perennes y la salinidad. Quedan expresamente...

Salinity is a concern in Argentina, which ranks third after Russia and Australia in soil surface affected by this condition. The purpose of this review is to point to the contribution of Argentine scientists to research on woody perennials in relation to salinity. Studies on the vegetation of saline areas in Argentina and on the responses of non-wo...

Abstract Elymus scabrifolius is a native C3 South American grass species. It is valued as forage species adapted to various environments in Argentina and is also a potential source of traits for wheat-breeding programmes. Efficient utilization of native genetic resources requires extensive collection and characterization of available material. The...

Symptom development in a susceptible sunflower line inoculated with Sunflower chlorotic mottle virus (SuCMoV) was followed in the second pair of leaves at different post-inoculation times: before symptom expression (BS), at early (ES) and late (LS) symptom expression. Sugar and starch increases and photoinhibition were observed as early effects BS,...

Las láminas foliares de monocotiledóneas son los sitios de actividad fotosintética que genera los fotoasimilados destinados al llenado de granos de cereales. Además, son el principal sustento de la producción ganadera en zonas extra-pampeanas, como el NOA, donde el alimento del ganado está integrado principalmente por gramíneas de crecimiento estiv...

Restriction of leaf growth is among the earliest visible effects of many stress conditions, including salinity. Because leaves determine radiation interception and are the main photosynthetic organs, salinity effects on leaf expansion and function are directly related to yield constraints under saline conditions. The expanding zone of leaf blades s...

EVALUACION DE TRES CUL TIVARES DE CENCHRUS CILIARIS EN CONDICIONES DE SALINIDAD Ruiz M , Parera C y Taleisnik E . El Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) es un pasto perenne nativo de Africa y de la mitad este de Asia. Ha sido introducido en otras áreas del mundo, debido a su conocida tolerancia a la sequía y altas temperaturas. Sin embargo su tole...

Experimental evidence in the literature suggests that O(2)(*-) produced in the elongation zone of roots and leaves by plasma membrane NADPH oxidase activity is required for growth. This study explores whether growth changes along the root tip induced by hyperosmotic treatments in Zea mays are associated with the distribution of apoplastic O(2)(*-)....

The effects of water stress on the infection and systemic movement of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) in vegetative tomato plants are examined. Two groups of plants: water stressed (water potential −1.31 MPa) and well-watered ones (water potential −0.65 MPa), were mechanically inoculated on the third expanded leaf from the top. Each group was then...

La salinidad de los suelos es uno de los factores que más restringen la productividad agrícola, afectando a escala mundial alrededor de 800 millones de hectáreas, de las cuales 129 millones se localizan en América del Sur. Mucho se ha escrito sobre el impacto agrícola global de la salinidad, y sobre su potencial incremento por la amenaza de saliniz...

We reported previously that salinity-induced elongation constraints in the expansion zone of maize leaves are associated with reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and could be alleviated by the addition of ROS. The NaCl effect was salt-specific and not osmotic. This paper explores the causes for such reduction. The decrease in ROS level...

The effects of salinity on growth and carbon balance in the cultivated tomato Lycopersicon esculentum (L.) Mill. cv. VF 234 and in a wild, salt-tolerant relative, L. pennellii (Correll) D'Arcy accession Atico, were compared. The level of salinity that significantly reduced growth and affected morphology was lower for the cultivated than for the wil...

Reduced hydraulic conductance calculated from growth data was suggested to be the main reason for reduced leaf expansion in salt-stressed Chloris gayana (Rhodes grass). In this work, xylem vessel cross-sections and wall enzyme activities were analysed to re-examine the effects of salinity on leaf growth in this species. Maximal segmental growth rat...

Sunflower chlorotic mottle virus (SuCMoV) is a recently described potyvirus that causes systemic infections in sunflower plants leading to chlorotic mottling and important growth reductions and yield losses. Oxidative damage is expressed after symptom development in this host-pathogen combination. The involvement of antioxidant enzyme activities in...

Salt tolerance in Andean potatoes can be a source for this trait in cultivated potatoes or be exploited to expand potato cultivation to more marginal areas. The purpose of this study was to determine salt tolerance in twelve Argentine Andean potato varieties through the response of nodal segments cultured in vitro and to evaluate whether changes in...

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the apoplast of cells in the growing zone of grass leaves are required for elongation growth. This work evaluates whether salinity‐induced reductions in leaf elongation are related to altered ROS production. Studies were performed in actively growing segments (SEZ) obtained from leaf three of 14‐d‐old maize (Zea may...

To examine the ion accumulation and membrane lipid metabolism in response to salinity we compared two tomato cvs. Pera and Hellfrucht Fruhstamm (HF), considered to be salt-tolerant and sensitive respectively. Na+ and K+ accumulation was significantly higher in roots of cv. Pera after 24 h and 72 h of 100 mM NaCl. While in cv. HF, a temporary increa...

Tomato cultivars with different tolerance to NaCl were analysed for basal endogenous jasmonate (JAs) content, and its changes in response to salt-stress. Steady-state levels of JA and related compounds were higher in the salt-tolerant cv. Pera than in cv. Hellfrucht Frhstamm (HF) and JA levels in both cultivars changed in response to salt-stress. A...

In Chloris gayana, salinity-associated yield decreases are due mainly to leaf area reductions. To understand the physiological basis for such reduction, the effects of salinity were studied on the spatial and temporal distribution of extension in the intercalary meristem at the leaf base, and on hydraulic conductance in that zone. C. gayana plants...

Sunflower chlorotic mottle virus (SuCMoV) causes chlorotic mottling symptoms and important growth reductions and yield losses in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L., cv. Contiflor 7). This paper describes the effects of SuCMoV on some aspects of carbon metabolism of sunflower plants. After symptoms became evident, CO2 fixation rates decreased, neverthe...

The production and role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the expanding zone of maize (Zea mays) leaf blades were investigated. ROS release along the leaf blade was evaluated by embedding intact seedlings in 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein-containing agar and examining the distribution of 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein fluorescence along leaf 4, which was e...

In tetraploid cultivars of Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana Kunth) productivity decreases significantly under saline conditions. Two closely related clones of cv. Boma (T and S), exhibiting different degrees of salt tolerance, were compared with determine the physiological causes for such decrease. In those clones, salt tolerance was associated with di...

Branched nodal roots comprise the largest portion of the root system mass in Chloris gayana Kunth and the effects of high salinity on nodal root appearance and elongation rates were analysed in cv. Boma in greenhouse experiments. Roots from salt-treated plants (0·2 mol l–1 NaCl) were smaller than controls, and accumulated higher concentrations of s...

Tomato spotted wilt is a major disease affecting greenhouse cultivated tomato. Several environmental and plant factors can affect the severity of this disease, among them high temperatures. Salicylic acid participates in the physiological mechanisms leading to disease symptom expression, and high temperatures can modify its accumulation. The purpos...

More than eleven soluble and ionically-bound cell wall peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7; donor: hydrogen-peroxidase oxido-reductase) isoenzymes were found in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum (L.) Mill. cv. Pera) roots. Isoperoxidases with isoelectric points 9.6, 8.2, 7.5, 6.5, and 3.6, were partially purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration...

Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana Kunth) is widely cultivated in the semi-arid tropics and favoured for salt tolerance; nevertheless, productivity decreases significantly under saline conditions, especially in tetraploid cultivars. The purpose of this work was to explore, in the tetraploid cultivar Boma, the physiological causes for such decrease. Exper...

Oxidative stress indicators, malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation and chlorophyll retention, were tested as tools for salt-tolerance screening in Chloris gayana (Kunth), a forage grass exhibiting inter- and intra-cultivar variability in the response to salt stress. Three types of experimental system were compared, salt shock, gradual salt treatment a...

Variability in the response to salinity within Chloris gayana (Rhodes grass) germplasm was evaluated under field conditions, and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to assess genetic relatedness among cultivars/accessions. RAPD analysis showed a clustering of cultivars of known relatedness: cv. Pioneer and accessions Local and...

Water loss from roots back into drying soil is a problem of practical importance in plants growing under conditions of very low substrate water potential, such as dry or saline areas. Root exodermis is relatively impermeable and has been suggested to play a protective role against water loss. The relative water retention ability was compared in roo...

The Argentinean semiarid Chaco region is climatically suitable for cattle raising and has an average annual rainfall of 550 mm, concentrated from November to February. There, large areas are affected by high salinity; thus, perennial forages suitable for this region must combine adequate salt and drought tolerance. Panicum coloratum is a C4 perenni...

The effects of salinity on germination, vegetative growth, regrowth after clipping, osmotic adjustment and ion accumulation were evaluated in 6 cultivars of Chloris gayana at the early stages of growth. Two tetraploid cultivars, Boma and Callide, and 4 diploid ones, Bell, Katambora, Pioneer and a local accession of Pioneer, were included in the stu...

The effects of salinity on the hydraulic conductance of tomato roots, content of lignin-like polymers and peroxidase activity were studied. Seedlings of tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum L. ev. Pera were grown hydroponically and salt treatments (100 mM NaCl) were given for 10 days, 1 day or 40 min. Hydraulic conductance was measured by pressurization...

Peroxidases with syringaldazine oxidase activity have been claimed to be specifically involved in lignification. The use of syringaldazine as a substrate presents problems of color diffusion and fading. We report a method for timing color development of syringaldazine peroxidase reactions in tissue prints, and conditions under which diffusion is mi...

The magnitude of sodium and potassium fluxes in Lycopersicon escutentum cuhivars Ace and Edkawi (Edkawi is considered more sait-tolerant I was evaluated in planls grown for 10 days in aerated Hoagland solution with the addition of 25 or 100 mM NaCl. Ion accumulatiun in different plant pans, ion concentration in xylem exudate. transpiration and memb...

Prosopis flexuosa, the most widespread arboreal legume found on saline soils in Argentina, is regarded as an especially attractive species for the productive recovery of arid and salt-affected areas. The effects of salinity on germination and seedling growth of this species were studied.Salt tolerance during germination was examined in seeds collec...

The effect of a short period of elevated temperature, or heat shock, on protein synthesis was investigated in 2-day-old seedlings of jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), loblolly pine (P. taeda L.), lodgepole pine (P. contorta Dougl.), black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP), and white spruce (P. glauca (Moench) Voss.). In all species, heat shock le...

A relatively drought tolerant cultivar of maize (Zea mays L. cv. Pioneer 3950) and a drought tolerant line of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench cv. ICSV 112) were grown hydroponically for 11 days. Treatments for non-ionic osmotic and salt stresses were started at the 8th day by addition of polyethylene glycol 6000 and NaCl, respectively, at 200...

Amiloride, a diuretic drug, has been reported to specifically inhibit Na+ /H+ exchange in tonoplast vesicles. The effects of amiloride on Na+ accumulation, uptake, and retention, and stability of leaf membranes in intact tomato plants treated with 25 mM NaCI were studied. The presence of 0.1 mM amiloride in the root medium caused an increase in Na+...

The uptake, transport and accumulation of sodium were compared in two grasses: Pappophorum pappifervm (Lam.) O. Kuntze, a glycophyte and P. philippianum L. R. Parodi, a facultative halophyte. At low salinity levels, (50 mM NaCl) shoots of salt-treated P. pappiferum accumulated lower Na⁺ concentrations than the other species. This difference does no...

Salt glands were observed in two species of Pappophorum, belonging to the tribe Pappophoreae (Chloridoideae, Poaceae). Glands resemble those described in other genera of the Gramineae; they comprise two cells, a large basal one and smaller upper one. Gland density per unit surface was much higher in P. philippianum, a facultative halophyte, than in...

The growth of the wild tomato species Lycopersicon peruvianum (L.) Mill, and L. pennellii (Correll) D'Arcy, was compared with that of the cultivated tomato, L. esculentum Mill. cv. VE 234, under conditions of reduced K+ supply. Growth was impaired less in the wild than in the cultivated species. The higher efficiency of K+ utilization in the wild s...

Tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill ‘FC111’) plants were dripirrigated with two different concentrations of diluted seawater (3 or 6 dS·m ⁻¹ ) applied at appearance of the first true leaf (early) or at first breaker fruit (late) stages of plant development. In general, salinity improved flavor and increased percent total soluble solids and sugar...

The responses to NaCl of cultured leaf discs and leaflets derived from fully differentiated leaves and of shoot apices excised from the cultivated tomato Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. and its wild salt-tolerant relatives L. peruvianum (L.) Mill, and Solanum pennellii Cor were compared. The results suggest that the tolerance of the whole plant to sa...

In cylindrical cells growing throughout their length, over-all transverse reinforcement of the wall by microfibrils is believed to be required for cell elongation. The multinet theory states that in such cells microfibrils are deposited at the inner surface of the wall with transverse orientation and are then passively reoriented toward the longitu...