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Greenhouse rose plants, `Bull's Eye', budded on the rootstocks Rosa manetti and R. × `Natal Briar', were grown in containers filled with a peat-based growing medium. The plants were irrigated with a 0.5× Hoagland solution salinized with a fixed 12-mM Na solution made up of seven ratios of NaCl, Na₂SO₄, and NaNO₃ (100:0, 50:50:0, 0:100:0, 0:50:50, 0:0:100, 50:0:50, and 33:33:33). The results after four flushes of growth and flowering showed higher dry weight productivities in R. manetti plants. Salt composition (i.e., counter-anion ratios) significantly affected the dry weight yield of `Natal Briar' plants, with those irrigated with 100% Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> and NaNO<sub>3</sub> having the highest and lowest values, respectively. While the plants budded on R. manetti did not show significant responses to salt composition, there was a strong tendency for higher dry weight yields in binary salt (anion) compositions. Leachates collected throughout the study showed similar pH (7.5) and electrical conductivities (4.7 dS/m) for all salt treatments. Leachate Cl- concentrations were linearly correlated with Cl- application, whereas leachate Na+ concentrations remained similar among treatments. Plants on R. manetti accumulated less leaf Na+ and Cl- than in R. × `Natal Briar' plants, with lower values observed, in general, in plants irrigated with solutions containing Na₂SO_4.

Greenhouse rose (Rosa × spp. L.) production is facing the use of poor-quality irrigation waters and regulatory pressures to recycle runoff and drainage effluents. Two experiments (were conducted to evaluate the yield and quality and ion accumulation responses of roses grafted on various rootstocks to increasing salinity stress. In Expt. 1, the scion ‘Bridal White’ grafted on ‘Manetti’, R. odorata (Andr.), ‘Natal Briar’, and ‘Dr. Huey’ were irrigated over four flowering cycles with complete nutrient solutions supplemented with NaCl at 0, 5, and 30 mm. In Expt. 2, plants of ‘Red France’ on ‘Manetti’ and ‘Natal Briar’ were irrigated over six flowering cycles with complete nutrient solutions supplemented with NaCl + CaCl₂ (2:1 m ratio) at 0, 1.5, 3, 6, 12, and 24 mm. Salt concentration increases significantly and negatively affected the biomass, cut flower production, and foliage quality of the roses in both experiments, but the responses were modulated by rootstock selection. ‘Manetti’ plants in general sustained better absolute and relative biomass and flower yields, accumulated less Na⁺ and Cl⁻ in its tissues, and showed less toxicity symptoms with increasing salinity than the others. ‘Natal Briar’ also had similar absolute productivity responses as ‘Manetti’ but were afflicted by a significantly different mineral nutrient profile, including higher accumulations and toxicities with Na⁺ and Cl⁻ that led to lower foliage visual ratings. Conversely, the relative yields of plants on ‘Dr. Huey’ and R. odorata were similarly reduced by increasing salinity, but the former had lower Na⁺ and Cl⁻ concentrations in its tissues and better visual scores than the latter, which fared as the worst. A combined analysis of the results suggests that on a productivity basis (biomass and flower yields), greenhouse roses could withstand overall maximum electrical conductivities (i.e., osmotic effects) of applied fertigation solutions of 3.0 ± 0.5 dS·m⁻¹. On the other hand, and considering the aesthetic responses (visual scores) of on-plant and harvested foliage (cut flower shoots), greenhouse rose tolerance to applied Na⁺ and Cl⁻ concentrations (ion-specific effects) could range up to 10 ± 2 mm.

Seedlings from 13 open-pollinated families of Taxodium distichum (L.) L.C. Richard from the gulf coast, central and south Texas, and Mexico were grown in a nursery in College Station, Texas. Forty seedlings per family were measured on three dates during the production cycle; 99, 109, and 133 days after sowing in Spring and Summer 2004. A two-step cluster analysis based on height and trunk diameter created 3 clusters of families. Cluster 1 had a mean height of 32 cm and a mean trunk diameter of 3.3 mm. Cluster 2 had a mean height of 33 cm and a mean trunk diameter of 3.4 mm. Cluster 3 had a mean height of 43 cm and a mean trunk diameter of 4.1 mm. Although clusters 1 and 2 are statistically significantly different, practically there is little difference between the two. The families from Mexico and central Texas were all in cluster 1 or 2 and the families collected from the gulf coast were all placed in cluster 3, with the exception of a single family from Biloxi, Miss., which was placed in cluster 1. Analysis of covariance revealed that family membership and days after sowing were both highly significant, as well as an interaction between family and days, for height. Families from Mexico and central and south Texas were 10 to 15 cm shorter than the families from the gulf coast, with the exception of the single family from Biloxi, Miss. Only days and the interaction between family and days were significant for trunk diameter. A pattern similar to the cluster analysis means was seen among the families for trunk diameter in the analysis of covariance.