GERMINACION Y DESARROLLO DE PLANTULAS DE FRIJOLILLO RHYNCHOSIA MINIMA (L) DC EN CONDICIONES DE SALINIDAD

Soil salinity is a condition that affects plant germination and development. However, some species show some tolerance to salinity during those growth stages, which is important for survival under these environmental conditions. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of NaCl on seed germination and development of frijolillo seedlings. This species has special importance because of its potential use as a forage plant since it grows well during the dry months of the year in the region. Seeds were collected from three sites on the alluvial plains of the coast of Nayarit. A complete randomized design was used, with a factorial arrangement A x B with four replications. The factor A represented the collections and the factor B represented the NaCl concentrations. The study was realized under laboratory conditions, the seeds were scarified with concentrated sulfuric acid. The response to 11 levels with NaCl during germination and development of “frijolillo” seedlings was compared, using 100 seeds deposited in Petri boxes with filter paper saturated with the saline solutions. These boxes were deposited in a germination chamber at 25 oC. The values for percent of germination, length of root, and length of stem showed that these variables were significantly different. The level of 320 mM of NaCl fully inhibited the root and stem growth. However, the plants from seed collected at Pimientillo (CPIM) was severely damaged by 150 mM of NaCl. In materials collected from El Limon (CEL) and Villa Juarez (CVJ) the same level of damage was reached with 250 mM of NaCl.