HALOPHYTIC COMPANION PLANTS IMPROVE GROWTH AND PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF TOMATO PLANTS GROWN UNDER SALINITY

摘要

Salinity becomes a major concern when soil salt concentration becomes excessive in growth medium. Halophytes arecapable of accumulating high concentrations of NaCl in their tissues, thus using halophytic plants in crop rotations or evenin mixed cropping systems may be a promising management practices to mitigate salt stress related yield loses. Salinityinduced yield losses and related physiological parameters on tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. SC2121)grown with or without halophytic companion plants (Salsola soda L. and Portulaca oleracea L.) were investigated in potexperiment. Treatments consist of four soil type (collected from Harran plain-Turkey) with similar physical properties butvarying in salinity level: electrical conductivity (EC): 0.9, 4.2, 7.2, and 14.1 dS m-1. The reduction in plant total dry weightwas 24, 19, and 48% in soils with slight (4.2 dS m?1), moderate (7.2 dSm?1) and high (14.1 dS m?1) salinity as compared tonon-saline soil (0.9 dS m-1), respectively. Leaf content of proline, malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase(POX) enzyme activity increased with increasing level of salinity. In tomato plants grown in consociation with Salsola soda,salinity induced DM decrease was only 6, 12 and 28% in soils with slight, moderate and high salinity as compared to nonsalinesoil, respectively. However, when Portulaca oleracea used as companion plant, no significant change in biomass orfruit yield was observed. This study showed that mixed planting with Salsola soda in high saline soils may be an effectivephyto-remediation technique that may secure yield formation and quality of tomato.