Abstract

José C. Carrillo-Rodríguez, José A. Cruz-Velasco, Felipe Sanjuan-Lara, Catarino Perales-Segovia, Marco A. Vásquez-Dávila*, Martha P. Jerez-Salas and José D. Carrillo-Castillo

Salinization causes degradation in arid zones and irrigated soils, producing negative effects on crops such as tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). In order to identify native tomato phenotypes tolerant to salinity, 10 advanced lines were evaluated at three levels of electrical conductivity in Puebla, Mexico. Seeds were sown in Peat moss^® substrate in 200-cavity polyethylene trays. They were irrigated with Steiner nutrient solution plus NaCl at 5, 7 and 9 dS∙m^{- 1}. Treatments were set up under a split-plot design and four replications. Salinity at 7 and 9 dS.m^-1 compared to 5 dS.m^-1 negatively affected: plant height with a reduction of 6.8% and 30.6% respectively; stem diameter 5.8% and 15.3%; number of leaves 2% and 11.1%, and total dry matter production 8.5% and 28.4%. The petiole K⁺ content decreased 5.9 and 14.9% at 7 and 9 dS.m^-1. Nitrates were statistically equal in each EC. In contrast, Ca²⁺ increased 23.2% at 7 dS.m^-1; however, at 9 dS.m^-1 it decreased to 15.4%. The native tolerant materials according to the Salinity Susceptibility Index (SSI) were: F5=0.89, PRV-1=0.81, F4=0.55; these can be used for further evaluation in production and as salinity tolerant rootstocks.