Date Received: 10-09-2012 / Date Accepted: 18-12-2012
Sodium chloride (NaCl) was used as an alternative herbicide to control some low shrub weeds. Mimosa pigra leaves turned brown when sprayed with NaCl. Two-days-old cotyledons of Mimosa pigra L. are capable of photosynthesis similar to mature leaflets and were used to study the morphological changes as well as photosynthesis after NaCl treatment. The results showed that NaCl at high concentrations of 10 to 60 g/l caused the loss of chlorophyll, carotenoid, leading to the loss of green color and browning of mesophyll tissue in cotyledon. Photoinhibition in Mimosa pigra L. cotyledon caused by NaCl occured only when it was exposed to strong light and reflected by a decrease in the value of Fv/Fm, QP, QN and electron transport chain of cotyledon. The rate of oxygen emission as well as carbon dioxide assimilation of cotyledon decreased as NaCl concentration increased.