ECOPHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON SALTWORT IN THE INDIAN DESERT

Saltwort is a halophyte growing naturally in the highly saline tracts of the Indian desert. This investigation was conducted to determine sa lt resistance, soil-plant relationships, metabolic process and surviva l of the saltwort (Suaeda fructicosa (L.) Forsk.) as influenced by sal inity. This species exhibited higher sugar and protein contents in rai ny season and higher chlorophyll under salt stress. Proline accumulati on was higher in the winter followed by summer and lowest in the rainy season. All the elements viz., Na, K, Ca and Cl studied in plant and soil did not follow a definite pattern.