Growth and Mineral Nutrition in Salt Stressed Guava (Psidium guajava L. cv. Allahabad Safeda)
Abstract
Guava cv. Allahabad Safeda was grown in saline soils and irrigated with the best available water (ECIW 2.8 dS m-1). Based on chemical composition (pH- 7.1, ECIW- 2.8 dS m-1, Na+- 20.04 meq l-1 and sodium adsorption ratio- 4.86), irrigation water was categorized as marginally saline. The soil pH2 was mostly below 8.5 but mean electrical conductivity (EC2) values ranged from 0.5-2 dS m-1 indicating moderate to high salinity in the experimental soil. After one-year of experimentation, five plants randomly selected from each treatment and the data were recorded. Plant height significantly increased (LSD 5%) with increase in salinity from 0.5 dS m-1 to 1.4 dS m-1. A similar trend was noted with respect to stem girth. The average plant height at 0.5, 0.9 and 1.4 dS m-1 salinity levels was 98.3 cm, 108.3 cm and 123 cm, respectively whereas the corresponding stem girth values were 2.24 cm, 2.28 cm and 2.46 cm. At 2 dS m-1 salinity,however, both average plant height (94.6 cm) and stem girth (2.24 cm) significantly decreased and were found to be comparable to control (0.5 dS m-1) values. Plants showed negligible Na+ accumulation in leaves up to 1.4 dS m-1 salinity, but exposure to elevated salinity (2 dS m-1) significantly increased leaf Na+ (0.16% DW). These data indicated a salinity tolerance (EC2)threshold of about 1.5 dS m-1 inguava cultivar Allahabad Safeda.
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