Osmoregulation in a halophyte Atriplex halimus L.

The impacts of salt on plant development and yield are numerous. In many plant species, the damage produced by salt stress is commonly manifested by a sequence of morphological and physiological changes at different stages. Germination and early growth are crucial for the establishment of species growing in saline environments. Our aim is to highlight the nuances that the osmotic and ionic components of salt stress might present depending on the mode of salt application, and to compare the resistance mechanisms that would be triggered by the two kinetics of salt imposition at different growth stages in this species. In a first stage, we carried out a comparative study of Atriplex halimus seed germination and investigated the processes involved in germination. In a second stage, we studied root parameters linked to salinity tolerance at the juvenile stage of plant development. The third part was based on the study of the role of calcium in the form of CaCl2 and CaSO4.