Effect of Salinization by NaCl on the Growth of African Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq)

Abstract

It is necessary to know the effect of excessive salinity in the soil on the growth of the African palm crop. The objective of the work was to evaluate the effect of salinity caused by NaCl on the growth and absorption of nutrients in the oil palm crop in early growth stage. The research was carried out in the laboratories of the University of Cordoba, where the 16 kg experimental units were made up of a mixture of alluvium and rice husk in a ratio of 4: 1. A complete randomized design was used with six treatments and a control (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.5, 3.6, and 6.1 cmolc kg-1 Na) and four repetitions. The data were statistically analyzed by analysis of variance and regression. The results report that the salinity in the soil that originates with the application of 2.5 cmolc kg-1 of Na produces in the soil an electrical conductivity (EC) of 1.96 dS m-1. Consequently, a drastic reduction in the quantified biomass of dry mass of stem, leaf, roots, rachis and leaf area originates, and the models that express this trend were adjusted to decreasing linear regressions with their highly significant parameters. Salinity interferes with the absorption of nutritional elements, such as N, K+ and Mg2+, and foliar nitrogen is the nutrient with the highest sensitivity to variations in EC in the soil. Foliar phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca) concentrations were not affected by salinity levels.