Survival, growth and biomass of Bambusa tulda seedlings as affected by different level of saline irrigation water

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of saline irrigation water on the production of bamboo seedlings (Bambusa tulda) in nursery condition. The present investigation was carried out at Bamboo Resource Centre, College of Forestry, NAU, Navsari, Gujarat during March, 2021 to June-2022. The experiment was carried out in nursery conditions with completely randomized design comprising five treatments and four repetitions. Seedling were irrigated with five different levels of saline irrigation water i.e., S₁: 0.5dSm⁻¹, S_-2: 2.0dSm⁻¹, S_-3 - 4.0 dSm⁻¹, S_4-: 6.0 dSm⁻¹ and S_5-: 8.0 dSm⁻¹ at interval of 2 days up to 120 days after imposing the treatments (DAT). Among different levels of saline irrigated water, a significant reduction in survival, growth, and biomass of B. tulda seedlings was observed at 8 dSm ⁻¹ and slight reduction 4 dSm⁻¹ level in nursery condition. However, S_1-: 0.5 dSm⁻¹ and S_2-: 2.0 dSm⁻¹ showed less impact on seedling survival, growth and biomass parameters. Study showed that the critical limit of saline irrigation water for B. tulda species is 8 dSm⁻¹, however, a 4 dSm⁻¹ irrigated water not drastically reducing the survival, growth and biomass parameters of B. tulda under nursery condition.