Effect of salinity on growth of two wild almond species and two genotypes of the cultivated almond species (P. dulcis)

Document Type : Research article

Authors

1 Scientific Board Member of the Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Tehran, I.R. ‎Iran.‎

2 Research Centre of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Esfahan, Iran.‎

Abstract

Effect of five levels of salinity on four almond species and genotypes through Factorial Statistical Design, with the basic Randomized Complete Blocks Design, was investigated.  The salinity treatments were made, using equal amounts of sodium chloride and calcium chloride at each level. The salinity levels were: Zero, 500, 1200, 2000 and 3000 mg/L. The second treatments were: Amygdalus scoparia, A. lycioides and genotypes 1 and 2 of Prunus dulcis.Washed sand was used for seedbed. The salinity treatments were applied when the almond seedlings reached 15-cm height. The seedlings performance, survival, height, diameter, leaf number, leaf thickness and dry weight (branch, stem leaf and root, separately) were measured and estimated every 15 days. Increasing salinity decreased the seedling height, diameter and dry weight (leaf, stem and root), significantly. The effect of salinity on the seedlings started with leaf marginal burn then extended to the whole leaf and ended in entire leaf wilting and fall. Salt level beyond 1200 mg/L at the first period of almond growth, decreased its growth dramatically, damaged the seedlings and finally killed the genotypes totally. The cultivated almonds had greater growth than the wild species at the low levels of salt whereas A. lycioides had the greatest growth at the level of 1200 mg/L.
 

Keywords


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