EFFECT OF DIFFERENT SALINITY LEVELS ON SEED GERMINATION OF SALT TOLERANT TREE SPECIES

Abstract

An experiment was conducted, during March-July 2000,at the Faulty ofAgriculture, University of Ruhuna, Mapalana, Kamburupitiya, to study of theeffect of levels of salinity on seed germination of three salt tolerant species,namely Acacia leucoploea (Katu Andara), Parkinsonia aculeate (Parkinsonia) andCassia auriculate (Ranavara)

The experimental design used, was Randomized Complete Block Design with 5treatment and 4 replications. Here, sea water (40 ds/m) was diluted to givevarying salinity levels (i.e. 2, 4, 8, and 12 ds/m) and normal water (0.13 ds/m)was used as the control. Saline solutions were applied to seeds and the rate andpercentage germination was observed.

The results obtained from the experiment showed that, low salinity levels (4 ds/m)increased seed germination of all 3 species. But with increasing salinity beyond 8ds/m a decreasing in germination was observed. When the salinity level was 8ds/m, the percentage of germination in Katu Andara, Parkinsonia and Ranavaraabout 40,40 and 13 respectively.

The percentage of germination in Ranavara was 0 at the salinity level of 12 ds/m.But in Katu Andara and Parkinsonia, 23% and 15% germination was observed at12 ds/m. Thus, these species can be ranked in oder of tolerance to salinity asfollows:

Katu Andara > Parkinsonia > Ranavara