SALINITY TOLERANCE POTENTIAL OF TWO ACACIA SPECIES AT EARLY SEEDLING STAGE

Soil salinity is a major environmental issue in arid and semiarid regions of the world. Acacia has very important role for salt affected barren lands due to its high salinity tolerance potential. The aim of the present study was to explore the genetic differences among Acacia ampliceps and Acacia nilotica regarding their response to salinity. Three-weeks old seedlings of both species were transplanted in half strength Hoagland nutrient solution having five salt levels (control,100, 200, 300 and 400 mM NaCl) with four replications in completely randomized design with factorial arrangement. After eight weeks of transplantation, the plants were harvested and data for shoot and root length and their fresh and dry weights were recorded. Na^+, K^+ and Cl-concentration of both root and shoot was determined. All the growth parameters of both species declined significantly in response to salinity. Acacia ampliceps was more salt tolerant than Acacia nilotica with better growth owing to higher K^+: Na^+ ratio in plant tissues.