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COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF NaCl AND SEASALT ON SEED GERMINATION OF COASTAL HALOPHYTES

ABDUL HAMEED, MUHAMMAD ZAHEER AHMED AND MUHAMMAD AJMAL KHAN

Abstract: The coastal and near coastal habitats of Karachi, Pakistan are characterized by dominant stands of perennial halophytes like Aeluropus lagopoides, Desmostachya bipinnata, Haloxylon stocksii and Suaeda fruticosa. Experiments were carried out to investigate comparative effects of NaCl and seasalt salinity on both rate and final seed germination of these species. Salinity tolerance range of halophytes varied among species and also between salt types. Seed germination of all test species decreased with increase in salinity of both salt types. Aeluropus lagopoides was the most tolerant at 50 dS m^-1 whereas, S. fruticosa the least salt tolerant at 30 dS m^-1, although the tolerance range was in following sequence: A. lagopoides > D. bipinnata > H. stocksii > S. fruticosa. While rate of germination showed a different pattern D. bipinnata > A. lagopoides = H. stocksii > S. fruticosa. Seasalt affected seed germination as well as rate of germination of A. lagopoides, D. bipinnata and S. fruticosa more adversely than NaCl especially at higher concentration. However, in H. stocksii seed germination was not significantly different in either salt type. Rate of germination also followed same pattern  

Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi–75270, Pakistan
Corresponding Author: Muhammad Ajmal Khan; halophyte_ajmal@yahoo.com