The Gowth and Leaf Area Development of Finger Millet Under Salt Stress

• Published in: SINET: An Ethiopian Journal of Science (Ethiopia) Vol. 16; no. 2
• Main Authors: Onkware, A.O, Ochieng, G. (Department of Botany, Moi University, Eldoret (Kenya))
• Format: Publication
• Language: English
• Published: 01.12.1993
• Subjects: CORACAN; ELEUSINE CORACANA; GERMINACION; GERMINATION; INDICE DE CRECIMIENTO; MIJO AFRICANO; SUPERFICIE FOLIAR; SURFACE FOLIAIRE; TAUX DE CROISSANCE; TOLERANCE AU SEL; TOLERANCIA A LA SAL

The high yielding Kenyan cultivar of finger millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn, "Ekalakala-1"), was grown in pots and subjected to substrate salt levels ranging between 0 and 1.2 s m**-1 electrical conductivity (EC). The plants were raised for a total of 58 days after sowing (DAS). The seedling dry weight and height, number of live leaves and their areas were determined at various dates during growth. The medium (0.8 s m**-1) and high (1.2 s m**-1) salt stress significantly reduced the percentage seed germination, relative growth rate and height of seedlings. It was concluded that the cultivar has a high physiological resistance to salt stress but that, for agricultural purposes, economic production may only be achieved if the substrate has a saturated extract with and electrical conductivity at or below 0.8 s m**-1.