How Does High Salt Content in Soil Effect the Growth of Plants?.
Plants differ widely in their tolerance of high salt content in soil. Normally, these salts are present in low amounts in topsoil and plant growth is not affected. The growth of some plants may be seriously reduced when grown in high salt containing soil, while more salt tolerant plants such as beets or spinach may only be slightly affected.
The first and most common symptom of salt injury is a reduced rate of plant growth. This is because the concentration of soluble salts in plant tissues increases as moisture levels decrease. This causes the plant excess water loss and cause the plant's plasma membrane to turn away from the cell wall resulting in plasmolysis. This is lethal to the cell and the plant will soon die.A plant growing on saline soil is smaller than normal, may have darker leaves than normal and will wilt from drought sooner than it would in a non-saline soil. As salinity increases plant growth will cease. Leaf burn, commencing at the tip, will occur with ultimate death of the plant in highly saline soil. .
Plant injury resulting from excessive soluble salts may first occur as a mild chlorosis of the foliage, later progressing to a necrosis of leaf tips and margins. This type of injury is largely attributed to the mobility of soluble salts within the plant. As these salts are rapidly relocated throughout the plant, they accumulate at the leaf tips and margins. Once the salts reach a toxic level they cause the characteristic "burn" associated with excessive salts. .
Roots may also be injured by the presence of soluble salts. This often predisposes the plant to a wide range of root diseases. Extreme injury may also interfere with water uptake and result in excessive wilting of the plant.
