SALINITY TOLERANCE OF FORAGE COWPEA [VIGNA UNGUICULATA (L.) WALP.] DURING GERMINATION AND EARLY SEEDLING GROWTH

SEVA NAYAK DHEERAVATHU*, HANAMANT M. HALLI, THULASI BAI VADITHE, SAIDA NAIK VADITHE, KAJAL SINGH, NILAMANI DIKSHIT1, USHA T. N , TEJVEER SINGH, REETU AND RAHUL GAJGHATE
ICAR- Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh), India
Department of Microbiology, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur (Andhra Pradesh), India
ANGRAU-Agricultural Research Station, Jangameswarapuram, Guntur (Andhra Pradesh), India
Zonal Agricultural and Horticultural Research Station, Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Shivamogga (Karnataka), India
*(e-mail : sevanayak2005@gmail.com)
(Received : 07 September 2021; Accepted : 27 September 2021)

SUMMARY

In the present investigation, four cowpea varieties viz., Kohinoor, BL-1, BL-2 and EC-4216 were tested for their relative salt tolerance to increasing levels of salinity in the combinations of salts which nearly exist in the natural salt affected soils in India. Seeds were germinated in petri dishes and were exposed to four salinity [4, 8, 12 and 16 EC (dS m-1)] levels. The germination percentage, shoot length, root length, fresh weight and dry weight of seedling were recorded. The main effects of salinity on varieties and the interaction effects among varieties were significant (p  0.05). At the highest salinity (16 dS/m) level, reduction in GP over control ranged from 14% for BL-2 to 74% for BL-1, SSL 77% for Kohinoor to 96% for BL-1, for SRL 59% for BL-1 to 83% for BL-2. GP showed significant correlation with SL, FW, DW, moderately significant correlation with SVI-I, II, III and highly significant correlation in SVI-IV. It was inferred that salinity stress significantly decrease germination and growth parameters of seedlings of four forage cowpea varieties; however variety BL-2 was found relatively tolerant to salinity than Kohinoor, EC-4216 and BL-1.

Key words:Salinity, cowpea, germination percentage, shoot length and seed vigour indices

213-221