Response of Badami-Zarand Pistachio Rootstock to Salinity Stress

Salinity is one of the most important problems that restrict cultivation of crops in arid and semi-arid regions. Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) is one of the most important trees that grow in these restricts. In this greenhouse study, the effects of salinity on growth of pistachio rootstock Badami evaluated. Seedlings were grown in plastic bags containing perlite. Salinity was imposed, by adding salts Nacl and Cacl2 to the pots to obtain concentration of 0, 100, 200 mM Nacl and Cacl2. 150 days after salt treatment, pistachio seedlings were harvested and length of shoots and roots, number of leaves and fresh and dry weight of shoot and root were measured. Photosynthesis and transpiration rates were measured before harvesting the plants. Also Chlorophyll fluorescence of plants measured. Salinity decreased shoots and to some extent root growth and number of leaves per plant in comparison with the control. Salt treatments reduced length of shoot and fresh and dry weight of shoots, but these values were more in roots for Cacl2 in comparison with control. Photosynthesis rate reduced in response to salinity but for Nacl treatments was more than the other. Transpiration rates and chlorophyll fluorescence did not show any significant differences with control. Data obtained in present study emphasized that growth Badami rootstock is affected by salinity and Nacl more than Cacl2 reduced growth of this rootstock. The aim of this study was to evaluate response of Badami rootstock to different level of salinity.