Salt exclusion varies amongst polyembryonic mango cultivar seedlings

Abstract

Field observations, confirmed by leaf tissue analysis, indicated that salt toxicity was limiting the productivity of mango, in an arid environment. Selecting for salt excluding rootstocks offered one solution to the problem. Currently in Australia, the mango is propagated without regard to rootstock. Little is known of the salt excluding ability of genotypes. Polyembryonic cultivars with rootstock potential were grown in a greenhouse and irrigated with moderately saline water, via drippers. Ten months from sowing, leaf tissue was harvested, dried and analysed for sodium and chloride concentrations. Individually, sodium or chloride were excluded from leaf tissue, depending on cultivar. However, no cultivar was outstanding in the combined exclusion of sodium and chloride. Leaf marginal scorch, a typical response to saline water uptake, varied between cultivars. Very poor correlations were associated with sodium or chloride leaf levels and leaf marginal scorch ranking's. Genetic variability exists in the response to saline water. Where salinity is an issue in mango production, development of adapted rootstocks will be important.