SCREENING OF MESQUITE (PROSOPIS SPP) FOR BIOMASS PRODUCTION AT BARRENSANDY AREAS USING HIGHLY SALINE WATER FOR IRRIGATION

Experiments were carried out to screen local and exotic species/access ion/provenances of Prosopis species at germination and seedling stages under salinity conditions. Field trials were also undertaken to evalu ate potential species/accessions/provenances under salt stress. Seeds of indigenous P. juliflora and P. glandulosa showed higher germination than seeds of P. cineraria and the exotic species under non-saline as well as under different levels of salinity stress with EV values of N aCl solutions ranging from 0-30 dS.m-1. There was a decrease in germin ation of all species with increasing salinity levels. Seedling emergen ce was completely inhibited above EC 10 dS.m-1 in P. juliflora and P. cineraria and above EC 15 dS.m-1 in P. glandulosa. Growth of 3 indigen ous and 2 exotic Prosopis species/provenances in pots containing sandy soil irrigated with dilutions of sea water adjusted at EC.(iw): of 10 , 20, 30, and 40 dS.m-1 showed that P. glandulosa did not survive beyo nd EC.(iw): of 20 dS.m-1. Among the surviving plants, P. juliflora obt ained from Brazil grew at the highest salt concentration and showed mi nimum biomass reduction in comparison with other species. In a field e xperiment, seedlings of 12 indigenous and 8 exotic species/accessions/ provenances of Prosopis transplanted under field conditions and irriga ted with saline water (EC: 14-16 dS.m-1) showed that the indigenous sp ecies/provenances, viz., P. juliflora (D.I. Khan) and P. glandulosa (S ujawal), and the exotic species/accessions, P. alba (Acc.# 0166) and 2 South American species showed better growth in terms of plant height and stem diameter under prevailing haloxeric conditions. Importance of mesquite cultivation for providing fodder, fuelwood, timber, and chec king movement of sand dunes to control deserification is discussed.