Salinity tolerance of the tree legumes: Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana, P. velutina and P. articulata) Algarrobo (P. chilensis), Kiawe (P. pallida) and Tamarugo (P. tamarugo) grown in sand culture on nitrogen-free media

Abstract

Sand culture pot experiments were carried out with Proposis seedlings in the greenhouse on a nitrogen free nutrient solution with increasing levels of sodium chloride. All species tolerated a 6,000 mg/l salinity with no reduction in growth. P. velutina was the only species that poorly tolerated the 12,000 mg/l salinity level. P. articulata, P. pallida, and P. tamarugo tolerated 18,000 mg/l NaCl with little reduction in growth and grew slightly in a salinity (36,000 mg/l NaCl) greater than seawater. This is the first legume known to grown in salinities equivalent to seawater. © 1981 Martinus Nijhoff/Dr W. Junk Publishers.