Effect of Brackish Water on the Growth of Globe Artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.)

Salinity is a critical environmental factor that has a profound negative impact on plant growth, development, and productivity, hence investigated in globe artichoke. The present experiment was conducted at Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, during 2015-16 to investigate the response of Globe artichoke to different levels of brackish water. The experiment followed a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four treatments and three replications for each treatment. Brackish water was applied at concentrations of 25% (T1), 50% (T2) and 75% (T3) with a control group (T0) receiving no brackish water. The application of brackish water significantly impacted artichoke growth, with the control group exhibiting superior performance across various parameters. Results showed that plant height was observed highest (47.33 cm) in the control group, followed by 33.5 cm (T2), 33.16 cm (T1), and 30.23 cm (T3) at the highest brackish water dose. In control treatment, plant canopy per plant was observed 59 cm followed by 42.73 cm (T2), 42 cm (T1), and 41 cm (T3) at the highest dose. Maximum leaf width, number of leaves per plant and chlorophyll content was also observed in the plants that were not irrigated with brackish water. Post-harvest measurements showed the control plants had the highest fresh and dry weight (85 g and 14 g), respectively. Overall, brackish water had a detrimental effect on all measured parameters. Future research should be done to explore salt-tolerant artichoke varieties or breeding programs to improve crop resilience.