Which of the following describes an early sign of road salt injury on plants?

• A. Injury first appears as dead leaves or needles in the early spring.
• B. Injury is always brown spots on fruit.
• C. Injury only affects roots and never visible.
• D. Injury causes witches' broom on top of plant only.

Answer: (A)

Salt injury from road salts stresses the plant by increasing salt levels in the soil, which makes it hard for roots to take up water. When growth starts in spring, the first tissues to show damage are the new leaves or needles, which often appear dead or die back. This dieback is the plant’s early sign that the roots have been stressed and cannot support healthy new growth. Other signs described don’t fit as the initial symptoms: brown spots on fruit aren’t typically the first visible effect of salt injury, injury that affects only the roots would not be seen above ground at first, and witches’ broom is caused by different pathogens or issues, not by salt injury.