Responses of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza to saltwater monitored by miniature electrodes

We measured the voltage between two Ag/AgCl electrodes, one inserted into the seedling of the salt-tolerant plant Bruguiera gymnorrhiza and the other into the vermiculite in which the seedling was potted. Four seedlings were placed in different environments, in saltwater or pure water, with light or alternating light/dark conditions. We have found that (1) the voltage profiles showed periodical oscillatory behavior; (2) seedlings in saltwater showed higher voltage compared to the ones in pure water; (3) in the light environment, the voltage was higher compared to the one in the dark environment; (4) in the dark environment, a voltage wave was hardly observable; and (5) electrodes inserted into the propagule cortex, stem cortex, and petiole showed different voltage wave amplitudes. The voltage profiles will provide an effective way to evaluate the movement of salt water inside the salt-tolerant plant.