Agricultural Research Journal

An investigation was carried out to evaluate ten sub-tropical ornamental trees for salt affected soils. One year old seedlings of the ornamental trees were transplanted in 10” earthen pots during the first week of April 2015, for testing them against salinity levels of 0, 30, 40, 50, 60 mM NaCl from May 2015 to October 2015. Due to 100 per cent survival in the doses, the level of salinity was further enhanced to 0, 30, 60, 90, 120 mM from November 2015 to April 2017. On the basis of the results of the present study, trees were categorized as salt tolerant and salt sensitive. Salt tolerant trees included Casuarina equisetifolia, Pongamia pinnata, Callistemon lanceolatus, Acacia auriculiformis and Cassia fistula, whereas, salt sensitive trees were Putranjiva roxburghii, Millettia ovalifolia, Koelreutaria paniculata, Ficus benjamina and Bauhinia purpurea. During October 2015, plant spread, girth, total chlorophyll and total soluble protein content slightly increased as the level of salinity increased in the salt tolerant trees. After November 2015, the plant spread, girth and total chlorophyll content increased up to 30 mM NaCl salinity level, whereas total soluble protein content increased up to 60 mM NaCl and thereafter decreased in tolerant tree species. In salt sensitive tree species, all the parameters decreased with an increase in salinity level. In C.equisetifolia, the total soluble protein content increased continuously with an increase in salinity. The increase in total chlorophyll and protein in salt tolerant trees at a lower level of salinity indicates that the plants managed to survive in a salt stressed condition.