Physico-Chemical Evaluation of Some Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.) Ecotypes Under Salt Stress Condition

The physiological and biochemical responses of three ecotypes of Artemisia absinthium L. from Iran were evaluated under salinity conditions. Salinity treatments were made by NaCl with EC of 0, 5, 10 and 15 dS/m.   Physiological and biochemical attributes were measured 30 days after the salt treatments imposed. Highest reduction in the shoot and root fresh weights was observed in the ecotypes of East Azarbaijan and Guilan at 10 and 15 dS/m salinity levels. The ecotype of Semnan was affected lesser by the same salinity levels than the control. Total chlorophyll showed a significant decrease at all salinity levels in all ecotypes. But the ecotype of East Azarbaijan showed a higher reduction at 10 and 15 dS/m salinity. Increasing the concentration of exterior salt led to increase the Na+ and Cl− concentrations in leaves, stems and roots. The highest Na accumulation in stems was found in the ecotype of East Azarbaijan at 10 and 15 dS/m.   The highest proline was detected in the ecotype of Semnan. The results indicated that there was different responses to salinity among the studied Artemisia absinthium ecotypes. The ecotypes of Semnan and Guilan were more salt tolerant than the East Azarbaijan ecotype. The relative tolerance of the ecotype of Semnan was due to the high amount of output capacity of Na+, Ca2+ concentration, as well as its proline content.