EFFECT OF SODIUM SALTS ON THE GROWTH AND MINERAL
COMPOSITION OF BAJRA (PENNISETUM TYPHOIDES)
RAM DEO, B. L. BASER AND D. V. S. RURAL
Agricultural
Experiment
Station,
University
of Udaipur,
Udaipur
INTRODUCTION
Bajra is the most important crop of Rajasthan and it is grown in about 28
per cent of the total cultivated area as compared to wheat which occupies only 10
per cent area. It is also grown in the regions of the state, where the soils are
saline and alkaline. The ions which are frequently found in excess in thl'se
soils include Na, Ca, Mg, CI, SO.' HCOs• and COSoIt is evident from the literature
cited in a review by Bernstein (1962). that the effect of different sodium salts
varied with the crops •. Parikh et al (1957) reported that NaCI was more injurious
to ~obacco than NaHCOs' Salinity decreased the Na and Ca content of the plant.
Results obtained by Bhardwaj (1960) revealed that straw and grain yield of wheat
decreased with increasing amount of soluble l"alts particularly bicarbonate and
chloride. -Therefore, the present investigation was ta ken to study the effect of
sodium salts on the dry matter production and uptake of nutrients (N, P, Ca. Mn
and Fe) by Bajra.
MATERIALS
AND METHODS
Sandy loam soil was salinised by mixing the sodium salts at the rate of
005,0,10,0.20 and 0.40 per cent as chloride, bicarbonate, carbonate and sulphate.
After mixing the salts, the soil was left for 15 days at t moisture of field capacity
to obtain the equilibrium between the soil and salts. Experiment was laid out in
a Randomised Block Design with three replications. Ammonium nitrate was
applied at the rate of 20 Kg. of N per hectare as a basal dose on weight basis.
Four seeds of Bajra variety R.S.J. were sown in each pot (size 25 X IS cm) on
July 10, 1966 and were harvested after nine weeks before they reached maturity
for recording dry matter production. The plants were analysed for nitrogen, pho .
sphorus. calcium, iron and manganese. Nitrogen was determined by Kjeldahl
method, and calcium by ammonium oxalate procedure as described by Piper (1950).
Phosphorus was determined by Venadate method, Mn was determined as permanganate using periodate as an oxidising agent and Iron by Orthophenonthroline
procedure. The colorimetric procedures for Fe, Mn and P described by Jackson
(1960) were used.
EFFECT OF SODIUM SALTS ON THE GROWTH OF BAJRA
RESULTS
AND
Data for dry matter production
Table 1.
Table".
and
DISCUSSION
composition
of Bajra are givert in
Effect of Sodium Salts oil the dry matter production
Treat-ments
Coneentriuionof
salts
Dry
matter
gm/
plant
Dry
matter
expressed
as % of
control
2.57
100.00
0.05
2.63
102.33
0.10
3.19
124.12
0.20
244
0.40
NaHCOa
Na2COa
and composition
mgm
P/gm
plant
material
7.64
7869
1.97
0.61
728.6
33.3
7.79
81.87
1.87
0.53
668.4
31.2
7.56
96.47
1.88
0.47
697.4
43.9
'94.94
7.93
77.32
1.62
0.48
630.4
27.0
201
78.21
7.89
63.44
1.65
0.43
742.1 .. 42.7
0.05
2.57
10000
·7.37
75.69
2.07
0.70
742.6
57.8
0.10
2.69
104.66
6.81
73.48
1.81
0.52
626.8
23.9
0.20
1.87
72.76
700
52:57
1.72 ,-
0.58
619.7
33.3
0.40
1.41 '
54~86
7.70
43.43
1.48.
61104
37.4
0.05
2.01
78.21
6.91
55.63
1.83
0.62
'627.0
. 36.5
0.10
1.75
68.09
8.75
61.44
1-.58
. 0.62
691.4
40.6
0.20
1.39
5408
10.13
56.53
1.67
0.58
679.2
27:5
0.40
1.14
44.35
7.35
'33.52
1.35
0.4.8
758:1
51.5
89.88
8.40
77.62
2.37
583.3
-24.9
..
.
,,'.
Na2SO
4.
0.05
2.31
,
,
Ca
'0.48
'0.65
Fe
ppm
Mn
ppm
'
0.10
2.29
89.11
8.00
7344'
2.07
0.68,
851.2
33.3
0.20
2.26
8793
.7.56
68.49
2.17
073
610.5
67.7
0.40
2.03
78.9&
6.16
50.08
1.18
0.75
770.2
21.4
F. Test
C.D.at
of Bajra
Total
N. mgmj
pot
Control
NaCl
mgm.
N/gm.
plant
material
101
Sig.
5% -
0.54
NS.
Sig.
Sig.
0.32
009
KS
Sig.
21.93
102
RAM DEO, B. L. BASER AND D. V. S. RUHAL
Dry matter production: The dry matter of Bajra per plant obtained at
0.05 per cent and 0.10 per cent of NaCI was 2.63 and 3.19 gm respectively, which
is higher than the control, whereas at 0.20 and 0.40 per cent of NaCI the yield
decreased and it was only 95 and 78 per cent of the control respectively. Hence,
the beneficial effect of chloride ion was evident at its low concentration.
In
presence'ofO.05 and 0.10 per cent of NaHCOs the dry matter' production was
not affected much, but at higher concentrations it decreased significantly and it
was only 73 to 55 per cent of the control. Com paring- the effect of chloride and
bicarbonate ions at the same concentration, the dry matter in presence of
bicarbonate was always lower than the chloride ions as it is evident from Table l.
Addition of Na2COS considerably decreased the yield, even at its lowest
concentration (0.05 per cent). The yield was only 78 per cent of the control and
it reached 44 per cent at 0.40 per cent of salt concentration.
The toxic effect of
carbonate ions was always ,greater than the chloride and bicarbonate ions. With
0.05 and 0.10 perc~nt of Na2S04 the dry matter production decreased but only
slightly over. the control and the differences were not significant. At higher
concentrations, dry matter production decreased but not to an appreciable extent
and it was higher than the yield which was obtained with carbonate and
bicarbonate at the same concentration.
NaaS04 was less injurious than Nac1
arid NaHCOs which is in agreement with Ehrler and Bernstein (1958).
Uptake of}~ut,r'ient8: The data in Table I revealed that the total uptake
of N decreased with the addi tion of salts. Similar results were also reported by
Parikh et til (1957).: Co~paratively, at all the concentrations, the total uptake
of nitrogen in presence of chloride ions was higher than the bicarbonate ions
whereas in presence of carbonate ions it was lower than both. Sodium sulphate
at 0.05 and 0.10 per cent of salt concentration did not affect the uptake of
nitrogen, but it decreased at 0.40 per cent of salt concentration •
.
Phosphorus content .of the plants was found to decrease as the concentration of chloride~ bicarbonate and carbonate ions increased. Phosphorus content
of the plants decreased significantly with the increasing concentration of
bicarbonate and carbonate ions, however, with chloride ions P content was
also decr~ased but the difference was not sIgnificant. Similar results were also
reported by Carbett and Gau5man (1960) and Shimoshe (1957). Sodium sulphate
upto 0.20 per cent of salt concentration increased the P content of plants but
with 0.40 per cent it decreased considerably over control. Calcium content of the
plant decreased as the concentration of chloride, bicarbonate and carbonate ions
increased and it was affected much in presence of chloride ions. Calcium content
EFFECT OF SODIUM SALTS ON THE GROWTH 0F BAJRA
103
of the-plants in presence of sulphate ions was higher than in presence of chloride,
carbonate and bicarbonate ions and it increased ,,'-ith the increasing concentration.
Effect of different treatments on the iron content of the plants was not
significant, however, at higher concentration of chloride and carbonate ions,
iron content of the plants was increased. Addition of sulphate ions increased the
iron content but bicarbonate ions decreased it, which is in agreernel)t with tbe
results obtained by Wallance (1956) where it was observed that bi~rbonate ions
generally decreased the iron content of soybean leaves. In presence of bicarbonate ions, the Mn content of plants decreased, whereas at higher concentration of·
chloride and carbonate ions, it increased. Parups, Kenwortby and Benne (1958)
also reported an increase in the Mn content of the plants with the increasing
amount of chloride .. With 0 20 per cent salt concentration of Na2So., Mn content
increased, whereas at 0.40 per cent salt concentration, it decreased considerably.
SUMMAR Y
The effect of sodium salts was studied on the growth and mineral
composition of Bajra in a pot experiment with sandy loam soii. The toxic effect
of carbonate ions followed by bicarbonate ions was more pronounced than the
chloride ions. The sulphate ions decreased the growth to a lesser extent. Total
uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium was decreased with the increasing
concentration of the ions. Calcium content was affected much in presence of
chloride ions. Uptake of nitrogen decreased more with the carbonate and
bicarbonate ions than the chloride and sulphate ions. At the higher concentration of bicarbonate ions both the iron and manganese decreased.
REFERENCES
Bernstein, L. 1962. Salt affected soils and plants.
Res. XVIII.
Proc. of Pari.s Symp. Arid Zone
Bhardwaj, S. N. 1960. Physiological studies on salt tolerance in crop plants. VIr:
Studies on growth and maturity of wheat and gram in saline alkali areas
in cultivators' field. Agra Univ. Jour. Res. 9: 195-198.
Carbett, E.G. and Gausman, H.W 1960. The interaction of chloride with
sulphate and phosphate in the nutrition of potato plants. Agron. Jour.
52: 94-96.
-_.,-
RAM DEO, B. L. BASER AND D. V. S. RUHAL
164
Elirler, W. ana Bernstein, L. 1958. Effect of root temperature, mineral nutrition
and salinity on die growth and composition of rice. Bot. Gaz. 120 : 67-74.
Jackson, M.L.
1960. Soil Chemical Analysis.
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Cliffs, N. J.
Parups, E.V.; Kenwortliy, A.L. and Benne, E.J. 1958. Growth and composition
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Proc. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 11 : 135-144.
Parikh, N.M. and Dangarwala, R.T. 1957. Effect of saline waters on the yield
and chemical composition of bidi tobacco. Conf. Tabacco Res. Workers
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Piper, C.S. 1950. Soil and Plant analysis. University of Adelaide, Australia.
Shimose, N. 1957. Distribution of p32 in rice plants, grown in the chloride
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Wallance, A. 1956. Effectiveness of ion chelates in the presence of sodium
bicarbonates. Symp. Mctalchelates. Plant Nutri. 35-40.