I. A. Al-Abdoulhadi1*, H. A Dinar2 , G. Ebert3 and C. BÃÆüttner4
Date Palm (Phoenix Dactylifera L) is the most important fruit crop of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which produces nearly a million tons of dates annually. The Arabian Peninsula is characterized by high soil salinity impacting the growth and productivity of date palm. We studied the influence of salinity on nutrient (N, K+ , Na+ , K+ /Na+ , Ca2+, Mg2 and Cl) content in major date palm cultivars viz. Khalas, Madjol and Barhy at the National Date Palm Research Centre, Al Hassa, Saudi Arabia. Results revealed that in young leaves, stem and roots of date palm, N, K+ , K+ /Na+ ratio,Ca2+ and Mg2+ content decreased with increasing levels of salinity, while Na+ content increased with the rise in salinity stress levels. As regards Cl content a reduction was seen at intermediate levels (50 and 100mM) which increased at higher salinity levels (200 and 400mM). In the cultivar Khalas N, K+ , K+ /Na+ , Ca2+ and Mg2+ were the highest and superior to the cultivars Madjol and Barhy. Further, Na+ and Cl content were the lowest in Khalas followed by Madjol and Barhy. It can be inferred that all the three date palm cultivars tested are strong salt excluders due to the increase in Na+ and Cl ions even at 400mM NaCl salinization. The cultivar Khalas registered a significant drop in K/Na ratio indicating better salt tolerance compared to Madjol and Barhy.
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