Relative importance of osmotic-stress and ion-specific effects on ABA-mediated inhibition of leaf expansion growth in Phaseolus vulgaris

The osmotic and ion-specific components of salt-induced inhibition of leaf expansion growth were investigated in beans grown from 12 h to several days in either NaCl-containing solution cultures, an isosmotic concentrated macronutrient solution, or a vermiculite-compost mixture with low Na+ but high Cl- availability. Inhibition of leaf expansion and leaf ABA increase was more intense in the NaCl than in the isosmotic macronutrient treatment, Root Na+ was highly correlated to inhibition of leaf expansion and leaf or xylem sap ABA. When Na+ was sequestered in soil, salinized plants showed no reduction in leaf expansion or ABA increase, regardless of the presence of high leaf Cl- concentrations, Stomatal conductance exhibited an exponential relationship with the reciprocal value of xylem sap ABA. Our results indicate that an ion-specific effect caused by Na+ in roots may account for an ABA-mediated reponse of both stomatal closure and leaf expansion inhibition.