ION ACCUMULATION IN LUCERNE PLANTS REGENERATED FROM SALT ADAPTED SUSPENSION-CULTURES COMPARED WITH RECULTURED CELLS FROM THESE PLANTS

Lucerne (Medicago media cv. Rambler) plants, regenerated from cell sus pension cultures adapted to 200 mM NaCl, and cell cultures derived fro m the leaflets of regenerated plants showed enhanced Na+ exclusion com pared with the unselected plants and cell cultures. There was a decrea se in the K+ concentration in response to NaCl treatment but the selec ted plants and cell cultures maintained a significantly higher K+ conc entration and showed much lower Na+/K+ ratios than unselected plants a nd cell cultures. The proline concentration increased in the shoots an d cell cultures in response to NaCl stress but the selected plants and cell cultures showed a significantly higher proline concentration tha n unselected plants and cell cultures.