Effects of various concentrations of sodium chloride on the growth, flowering, fruit bearing and chemical composition of egg-plants in sand culture

Abstract

1. Experiments were carried out in 1955 in order to study the effects of the concentration of NaCl in the culture solution on the growth, flowering, fruit bearing and chemical composition of the egg-plant, in sand culture under the glasshouse condition. HOAGLAND's nutrient solution was used as the basic solution, and in the NaCl treatment, the concentrations of Nacl added ranged between 2, 000 and 14, 000ppm at intervals of 2, 000ppm. “Shinkuro” variety was sown on Feb. 1 in the sand seed bed, and young plants were transfered on May 7 to the washed river sand in 5-gallon glazed crocks. Nacl treatments were initiated on May 23 and continued till July 23. 2. The growth of plants was reduced almost in inverse proportion to the increasing concentration of NaCI, bu tno other specific symptoms appeared in the NaCl treatments. 3. No harmful effects of NaCl treatments on the fertility of pollen and its rate of germination were observed. 4. Both the number of flowers and the rate of the occurrence of perfect (long-styled) flowers decreased with the increase of NaCl concentration, but the influence of NaCl on the rate of fruit bearing was not evident. 5. With the increase of NaCl, the yield of fruits was reduced markedly, while the quality of fruits and the seed set appeared not to be affected. 6. Leaf analyses gave the following results. The contents of both Na and Cl increased almost in proportion to the concentration of NaCl in the solution, but Cl accumulated at the higher rate than Na. With the increasing concentration of NaCl. the contents of N and P increased slightly, while Mg and Ca, especially the latter, decreased markedly. The content of K showed the peak at 4, 000ppm of Nacl. Carbohydrates decreased with the increase of NaCl.