The response of several citrus genotypes to high-salinity irrigation water

Abstract

The effect of irrigation with saline water on several citrus genotypes was evaluated in a short-term field experiment. Salinity levels ranged from 2.0 to 6.4 dS·m-1. Comparatively salt-tolerant Citrus species and Citrus x Poncirus hybrids were tested for their possible use as rootstocks for commercial citrus cultivars irrigated with brackish water. All the tested genotypes survived the highest salinities. At all salinity levels, the best chloride excluder was Cleopatra mandarin (Citrus reshni Hort. ex Tan.), and the worst was sour orange (C. aurantium L.). Gou Tou Cheng (C. aurantium hybrid?) and Rangpur (C. limonia Osb.) x Troyer citrange (C. sinensis L. x Poncirus trifoliata L.) RT803 were found to be promising genotypes for further evaluation as rootstocks tolerant to high salinities. Rangpur was unsuitable because of foot rot.