Effect of irrigation water salinity on emergence and early growth of mulungu seedlings

Abstract

This paper aimed to evaluate the emergence and early seedling growth of the coral tree (Erythrina velutina Willd.) in sand under different salinity levels of irrigation water. The study was conducted in the greenhouse of the Department of Plant Sciences, Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid (UFERSA) in Mossoró, RN, in May 2009. The statistical design was completely randomized, with four salinity levels (0.5, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 dS m^-1), with four replications of 25 seeds. Evaluations were made of seedling emergence, the speed of emergence, seedling height, number of leaves, leaf area, dry weight and seedling main root length. The results indicate that increase in water salinity affects growth more than the initial seedling emergence of mulungu.