LAUSR

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of NaCl on the hydroponic culture of cv. MD Gold pineapple pretreated with the phytohormones naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) using indicators of water stress and osmotic adjustment. Pineapple seedlings from saline treatments in the absence (-NB) and presence (+NB) of the phytohormones during the in vitro culture were grown in Hoagland & Arnon (1950) nutrient solution in the absence and presence of different NaCl concentrations (50; 100 and 150 mM) for 10 days in a greenhouse. Plants obtained from in vitro culture pretreated with phytoregulators (+NB) showed distinct physiological responses compared to non-treated plants (-NB) in relation to dry mass (DM) in roots, electrolyte leakage (EL) and Na+ and K+ concentrations in leaves and roots, and also regarding soluble sugars (TSS), free amino acids (TFAA) and proline (PRO) concentrations in leaves. Additionally, salt treatments induced similar responses in -NB and +NB plants, however differing in relation to intensity and the studied organs. The presence of NaCl in the solution reduced leaf DM in the -NB treatment, the leaf relative water content in -NB and +NB, and root RWC only in the -NB treatment. High levels of NaCl increased leaf EL in the +NB treatment. Potassium levels decreased with the increase of NaCl concentrations in nutrient solution for leaves and roots submitted to -NB treatment and for roots submitted to +NB treatment. Leaf potassium levels increased in +NB treatment regardless of salt treatment. No ionic toxic effects were identified except for roots subjected to 150 mM NaCl solution both for -NB and +NB conditions. TSS concentrations decreased with increasing NaCl concentration in leaves for both -NB and +NB treatments. Furthermore, TFAA and PRO showed increased levels in leaves subjected to saline stress, being more expressive in -NB treatment. In conclusion, pretreatment with growth regulators in pineapple plants minimized the effects of NaCl, despite higher concentrations of this salt affecting most of the evaluated parameters. Additionally, we conclude that the osmotic effect of salt stress was determinative for the physiological changes and that roots have different outcomes regarding the increment of growth regulators and NaCl concentrations.