CHLOROPHYLL CONTENT AND STOMATA MORPHOMETRIC FEATURES OF ANETHUM GRAVEOLENS L. IN A CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT WITH DIFFERENT SALINE LEVELS

The intensive use for different purposes of dill requires split and even short-term studies that are desirable in purpose to highlight the threatening thresholds of salinity doses during vegetation growth season. The aim of the study was to assess the dill growth according to BBCH scale, the leaves' chlorophyll content and stomata number, and morphological characteristics during growth and development under salinity stress. The experiment was set under controlled conditions at 20 +/- 2 degrees C T, and 40% H under full light in the growth chamber. Two different salinity levels of 50 mM, 100 mM NaCl and a control were tested in 3 treatments for 5 plants in 6 repetitions. Dill germination rate registered the higher value at 50 mM NaCl compared to the control treatment. At the end of the 10 BBCH germination stage, the lowest NaCl dose determined 100% of germination capacity. The higher stomata density was in the treatment with 50 mM NaCl, with 46% more compared to the control. The chlorophyll content of dill decreased with the increasing salinity levels. Dill is not negatively influenced by the two salinity doses tested.