Fifteen plants of A. unedo, two years old, grown in the nursery of
the Castelporziano Estate (RM), were transplanted in 15 l pots filled
with a mixture of garden soil (60% of volume), sand (20%) and turf
(20%). The plants were placed inside a closed “walk-in” chamber
facility (2.5 m 3.9 m 3.0 m h) at the Department of Environmental
Biology, Sapienza University of Rome (Italy). Air temperature
was maintained at 24.2 ± 1.4 C, and 20.7 ± 1.5 C during the
day and night, respectively. Relative humidity was constantly
maintained at 62 ± 4%, and PAR of 500 mEm2 s1 was provided for
12 h per day by means of six metal halide lamps (1000 W, Philips
HPI-T). After 20 days of acclimation, 5 plants were kept as controls
and regularly irrigated with tap water, 5 plants were salt treated,
and for the other 5 plants the irrigation was suspended