Salt exclusion varies amongst polyembryonic mango cultivar seedlings.
Hoult M. D., Donnelly M. M., Smith M. W.
Author Affiliation: Katherine Research Station, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, PO Box 1346, Katherine, NT 0850, Australia.
: 455-458
Abstract : Field observations, confirmed by leaf tissue analysis, suggested that salt toxicity limited mango productivity in arid environments. Selecting for salt-excluding rootstocks is one strategy used to improve productivity under these conditions. In Australia, rootstocks are generally not considered when propagating mangoes. Polyembryonic cultivars with rootstock potential were grown in a greenhouse and irrigated with moderately saline water, via drippers. Ten months from sowing, leaf tissue was harvested, dried and analysed for Na and Cl concentrations. Na or Cl were individually excluded from leaf tissue depending on cultivar. However, no cultivar was outstanding in the combined exclusion of Na and Cl. Leaf marginal scorch, a typical response to saline water uptake, varied between cultivars. Very poor correlations were associated with Na or Cl leaf levels and leaf marginal scorch rankings. It is suggested that where salinity is an issue in mango production, the development of adapted rootstocks could prove to be useful.