Salinity tolerance of pomegranate cultivars during early growth stage

A pot culture experiment was conducted at Regional Research Station Abohar of Punjab Agricultural University from 2019 to 2022.Six commercial pomegranate cultivars (Jalore Seedless, Mridula, Bhagwa, Phule Arakata, Ganesh-137, and Wonderful) were selected. Three-month-old rooted cuttings of these cultivars were subjected to saline water irrigations with different electrical conductivity (EC) levels (1.5, 3.0, 4.5, and 6.0 dS m-1), and canal water was used as a control. Over the time, concentrations of K, Ca, Mg, and S decreased in different plant parts, while Na and Cl increased significantly in all cultivars. The growth, and vital physiological plant processes were adversely affected while electrolyte leakage, leaf malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, and the activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase) increased in all cultivars. Based on a comprehensive evaluation index, Bhagwa was identified as the most salt-tolerant cultivar followed by Wonderful. Phule Arakata showed the least salt tolerance among all tested cultivars.