Department of Environmental Science, Fergusson College, Pune

Department of Botany, Shivaji University, Kolhapur

Shri Dhokeshwar Mahavidyalay, Takali Dhokeshwar, Parner, Ahmednagar

Department of Environmental Science, Shivaji University, Kolhapur

Salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses that adversely affect crop productivity and quality. Plants need different essential minerals to grow and survive but excessive soluble salts in the soil are harmful to most of the plants. There is often an interaction between macronutrients and micronutrients in the root medium and in plants. In the present investigation effect of various levels of salinity on the mineral content of the leaves of Vetiveria zizanioides was studied. The experimental species was treated with increasing concentrations of Sodium chloride (25, 50,100, 200 and 300 mM). The concentration of sodium showed a perfect positive correlation with the increasing concentration of NaCl salinity. There was 43.18% increase in the sodium content at 300 mM NaCl over the control. Similar result was recorded in case of chloride which was increased in the leaves at all levels of salinity and also showed a perfect positive correlation. It was increased by 127.99% at 300 mM NaCl. The concentration of potassium was also increased in the leaves of Vetiveria at all salt concentrations. The concentration of Mg was slightly increased in the leaves of this grass at the lower levels of salinity. The level of 300 mM NaCl appears to be inhibitory in the uptake of magnesium. Fe content was decreased drastically at 300 mM concentration of NaCl in the rooting medium. The highest increase in the concentration of Fe for the Vetiveria was 16.21% at 200 mM NaCl. The details of other minerals studied in relation with salinity are discussed in the present paper.

Keywords: Abiotic stress; Minerals; Salinity; Vetiveria zizanioides.