ABSTRACT
Caper (Capparis spinosa) is used as multipurpose and adaptable plant which provides a valuable opportunity to enhance greenery in harsh climatic areas. This plant like the others is affected by drought and sodium chloride stresses as the most common abiotic stresses worldwide. This study was carried out to determine the interaction between drought and different ratios of sodium and calcium chloride on caper. Droughts stress were two levels of 100 and 75% of field capacity and were applied based on the daily weighting method of pots. Salt treatments were four different ratios of calcium chloride: sodium chloride (1:0, 1:1, 1:3, 1:5]. Treatments started when the plants were sown in the pots. Results indicated that higher ratios of calcium chloride than sodium chloride which caused salinity stress have destructive effect on water relationships and contents of the caper. This stress affected growth, morphological, and physiological function related traits in a negative way. Growth and other traits decreased under water deficit conditions. It seems that interaction between salinity and drought had the most destructive effect on this plant and decreasing its quality and quantity of its traits.
Keywords:
salt stress; chlorophyll index; water content
