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EFFECT OF SALINITY ON GROWTH OF RHIZOBIUM SPP., NODULATION AND HEIGHT OF PROSOPIS SPECIES

DURR-E-HABIB ROOMI, A. GHAFFAR, R. AHMAD AND S. ISMAIL

Abstract: The effect of salinity on the growth of Rhizobium spp., isolated from Prosopis glandulosa and P. juliflora was studied in vitro. Growth of Rhizobium isolated from both Prosopis species increased at all salinity levels as compared with the control (0.01 %) except at 1% NaC1 level. Rhizobium sp., isolated from P. glandulosa showed a gradual decline as salinity increased from 0.3 to 1.0%; that isolated from P. juliflora showed a decline as salinity increased from 0.2 to 1.0%. Increasing salinity caused a gradual reduction in seed germination, height of the plant, number of nodules per plant and nodule size.

Biosaline Research Laboratories, Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.