8.STUDIES ON SENSITIVITY OF SPINACH VARIETIES TO SALINITY STRESS By D. S. DAVE AND N.K.PATEL

Abstract

The herbage vegetables like Spinacea oleracea Linn. (Vern: Palak, Eng: Spinach), is green vegetable whose leaves are packed with essential nutrients. The ability of plants to tolerate and thrive in saline soils of semi arid region like Patan district is of great importance in agriculture, since it indicates that the affected plants have genetic potential of salt tolerance.
The soil characteristic was evaluated as it influences the plant growth and development. These included Physical parameters like Soil Texture, Soil Temperature and Soil Density. The Chemical parameter tested were Soil Salinity, Water Holding Capacity, Soil pH and Moisture Content. Total Dissolved Salt (TDS) of the irrigated water was also measured.
The uniform seeds of three varieties of this plant were sown in polyethylene bags. Sodium chloride (NaCl) was added to the soil and salinity was maintained at 0.35(control), 2.78, 5.52, 8.58, 11.15 and 13.8 dS/m. The plants were cultivated using normal agronomic practice. The Physiological and Biochemical Analysis of plant including germination studies were carried out under the above salinity stress. The percentage germination decreased with the increase in salinity. The Physiological parameters included Root length, Shoot length, Leaf number per plant, fresh weight and dry weight of stem, root and leaf. The difference in fresh and dry weight gave biomass. All the above parameter decreased with the increase in salinity. The Biochemical parameters included estimation of Total Carbohydrate, Total Protein, Total free Amino Acids, Proline, Chlorophyll a, Chlorophyll b, and Total Chlorophyll. All the above Biochemical decreased with the increase in salinity except Proline which increased along with the increase in salinity. The variety of the plant which performed better on all the above parameter was ascertained for furtherrecommendation for cultivation.
KEY WORD: Salinity, Spinacea oleracea Linn. Physiological parameter, Biochemical parameter, Patan.