Physio-biochemical responses of polyembryonic mango (Mangifera indica L.) genotypes to varying levels of salinity stress

Abstract

Mango genotypes that are salinity tolerant can possibly be used as clonal rootstock for sustained production of salinity sensitive commercial mango cultivars in salt affected soils. Present study was carried out to elucidate the effect of salinity stress induced by salts of NaCl+CaCl2 (1:1) at concentrations of 0, 25, 50 and 100 mM on fifteen polyembryonic mango genotypes. The physio-biochemical parameters such as relative water content, chlorophyll content, epicuticular wax content, water potential (Ψ), carbohydrate content, lipid peroxidation, proline accumulation and antioxidant enzymes were determined at each level of salinity in all genotypes. On the basis of these physio-biochemical changes, the study illustrated that the polyembryonic genotypes, Turpentine, Deorakhio, Olour, Bappakkai, Vattam, Nekkare, Kurukkan, Kensington, Muvandan, EC-95862, Manipur, Sabre, Vellaikolamban, Kitchener and Mylepelian were in the decreasing order in response to salinity stress tolerance.