IRRIGATION WATER QUALITY IMPACT ON SALINITY TOLERANT AND SUSCEPTIBLE ORNAMENTAL TREE SPECIES IN THE SEMI-ARID REGION OF BATHINDA, PUNJAB, INDIA

On the basis of morpho-physiological, biochemical and anatomical parameters during the 1 st and 2 nd years of the experiment, plants were classified as salt-tolerant and susceptible.From these plants, salttolerant (Casuarina equisetifolia, Pongamia pinnata, Acacia auriculiformis, Callistemon lanceolatus, and Cassia Fistula) and salt-susceptible tree species (Milatia ovalifolia, Putranjiva roxburghii, Koelreutaria paniculata, Bauhinia purpurea, and Ficus benjamina) were planted at the PAU regional research station, Bathinda.The field experiments were conducted in a randomized block design with 20 treatments and replicated three times.The treatments were comprised of two irrigation water qualities (saline water and canal water) and ten ornamental tree species.The pH and EC of the soil increased as it was irrigated with Saline water (pH 8.99, EC 3.65 dS/m) and Canal water (pH 8.1, EC 0.46 dS/m).Among different tree species, the highest mean value of all parameters in salt-tolerant tree species was found when the plants were irrigated with canal water up to the estimated salinity of 0.46 dS/m.During the first year of the experiment the maximum percent decrease in plant height (28.57%),Number of branches per plant (28.65%), stem girth (28.15%), plant spread (29.03%), and survival percent (40%), was observed in F. benjamina, and the minimum percent decrease in plant height (6.11%), Number of branches per plant (6.25%), stem girth (8.80%), plant spread (8.97%), and survival percent (100.00%), was observed in C. equisetifolia, During the second year of the experiment, the maximum percent decrease in plant height (30.37%),Number of branches per plant (29.32%), stem girth (30.83%), plant spread (30.50%), and survival percent (60.00%) was observed in F. benjamina, and the minimum percent decrease in plant height (10.48%),Number of branches per plant (11.66%), stem girth (16.31%), plant spread (15.38%), and survival percent (100.00%) was observed in C. equisetifolia.