Bean plants (Plaseolus vulgaris) were very sensitive to moderate conce
ntrations of NaCl, showing a dramatic decrease in their K+ content in
the presence of this salt. Increasing the KCl content of the nutrient
medium released the inhibitory effect of NaCl by increasing the Kf con
tent of the plants. Likewise moderate concentrations of KCI were toxic
for bean plants because they produced a large K+ loading. NaCl partia
lly released this toxicity by inhibiting the K+ loading. When compared
to the moderately salt tolerant sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus),
bean plants showed a lower capacity to discriminate between K+ and Na
+, at high Na+ levels, and an uncontrolled K+ uptake at moderate conce
ntrations of K+. It is concluded that this low capacity of discriminat
ion of the KS uptake system of bean plants in presence of Na+ can acco
unt for by the NaCl sensitivity of bean plants.