Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal (Haryana)
* Present address: Professor of Crop Physiology, Department of Agronomy, PAU, Ludhiana
A sand culture experiment was conducted with artificially created salinity levels of 2.00,3.75,5.50, 7.25 and 9.00 dS/m applied at various growth stages to various promising varieties of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajari). The results showed that all Arhar varieties could tolerate salinity up to EC 5.50 dS/m applied at all growth stages. Varieties H 87-2 and ICPL 85010 could produce biomass and grain yield upto EC 7.25 dS/m. Higher salt tolerance in these varieties may be due to relatively lower sodium intake in the seedling shoot Death of plants at EC 7.25 and 9.00 dS/m at all stages was not due to higher sodium intake by leaves as both lower (yellow) and upper fully expanded green leaves accumulated almost similar quantity of sodium. Pigeonpea appeared very sensitive to alkalinity as it survived only upto 9.0 pH.
