Arid Zone Research ›› 2025, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (10): 1876-1886.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2025.10.11

• Plant Ecology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of paclobutrazol on seedling growth of the typical psammophyte Corethrodendron fruticosum

YANG Rui1(), LIU Yang2, DANG Xiaohong1, MENG Zhongju1(), GAO Yong1, GAO Qin1   

  1. 1. College of Desert Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010010, Inner Mongolia, China
    2. Inner Mongolia Water Conservancy Research Institute, Hohhot 010020, Inner Mongolia, China
  • Received:2025-03-27 Revised:2025-05-08 Online:2025-10-15 Published:2025-10-22
  • Contact: MENG Zhongju E-mail:15847769790@163.com;mengzhongju@126.com

Abstract:

Paclobutrazol (PP333) is a type of gibberellin inhibitor, which enhances the stress resistance of plants by regulating their growth and physiological processes. In this study, to explore the effect of PP333 on the growth of Corethrodendron fruticosum seedlings under salt stress, the optimum concentration of PP333 that improves the salt tolerance of C. fruticosum seedlings was first identified. C. fruticosum seedlings treated with 250 mmol·L-1 NaCl (stress treatment) were irrigated with 0, 150, 300, 450, and 600 mg·L-1 PP333 using the pot method. The changes in seedling growth, photosynthetic characteristics, and stress resistance physiological indexes under each treatment were investigated and analyzed using the membership function method. The results showed that the growth in basal diameter and plant height of C. fruticosum seedlings were inhibited after salt stress. The net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), stomatal conductance (Gs), photosynthetic pigment content, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity decreased, whereas the intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), malondialdehyde (MDA) content, peroxidase (POD) activity, soluble sugar (Ss) content, and proline (Pro) content increased. Root irrigation with PP333 effectively regulated the growth of C. fruticosum seedlings, alleviated the adverse effects of salt stress on seedling photosynthetic efficiency and antioxidant enzyme activity, and weakened the degree of membrane peroxidation. Comprehensive analysis showed that 600 mg·L-1 PP333 treatment enhanced the photosynthetic efficiency, antioxidant enzyme defense, and osmotic adjustment ability of C. fruticosum seedlings under salt stress, and effectively regulated growth, which helps the plants cope with salt stress.

Key words: Corethrodendron fruticosum seedlings, salt stress, paclobutrazol (PP333), growth characteristics, physiological characteristics