Vegetos

Abstract

Soil salinity is well documented soil problem to crop production in many areas of world. Root of plant is directly affected by soil salinity and is responsible for various metabolic activities in above ground plant part. Therefore, a pot experiment was carried out with wheat root in order to investigate the interactive effect of salinity and zinc on dry weight (g pot⁻¹) and cationic micronutrients uptake like Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn (g pot⁻¹) in roots. For this purpose roots at physiological maturity were used. The experiment was arranged in completely randomized design (CRD) in which each treatment was replicated thrice. The plants of wheat were raised in the earthen pots containing dune sand, at four salinity levels (EC_e 4, 8 and 12 dS m⁻¹), each dominated by chloride (Cl:SO₄ = 7:3) and sulphate (Cl:SO₄ = 3:7) salts separately under natural conditions of screen house. Each EC_e treatment including non-saline control was established at four level of zinc (0, 5, 10 and 15 mg kg⁻¹ soil). Under salinity there was a considerable decrease in dry weight of roots and micronutrients (Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn) uptake. The adverse effect of saline environment was ameliorated by Zn applications and for that optimum dose of Zn application in both type of salinity was 15 mg kg⁻¹soil. The data revealed that root dry weight and cationic micronutrients uptake, like Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn have negative interaction with increasing salinity and positive interaction with the increasing application of Zn.