Architectural traits in response to salinity of wheat primary roots

This article provides a study on morphological and anatomical changes during post-embryonic development of roots in plants under saline stress. The influence of salinity on the architecture of root related to the species-specificity of wheat plants is shown. The important roles of thickness of the epiblema and length of root hairs, the thickness of the endoderm and the diameter of the central cylinder under salt stress appear worthy of note. It is shown that both the water content of roots cells and its chromosomal apparatus are affected by salt stress. In addition to a very strong plasmolysis, the compression and fragmentation of the nuclei were noted, which resulted into their destruction and cell death. On the basis of all considered parameters the studied species can be arranged in the following according their resistance to salinity: T. polonicum < T. compactum < T. aestivum < T. dicoccum. This is confirmed by the data of ion balance of Na+, K+, and Ca2+ in primary roots of different wheat species.