INTRODUCTION
Saline environments can reduce a wide number of responses in plants, including
readjustment of transport and metabolic processes, leading to growth inhibition through
osmotic effects of specific ion and inadequate uptake of essential nutrients (Jaleel et al.,
2008; Taiz and Zeiger, 2010). Salinity and water stress may affect plant growth and
development through high salt concentration in the soil solution that cause high osmotic
pressure, resulting in low soil water potential and, high concentration of potential toxic
ions, such as Na and Cl (Gunes et al., 1996). Salinity could seriously change the
photosynthetic carbon metabolism, leaf chlorophyll content as well as photosynthetic