Germination and development of passion fruit seedlings under saline and water stresses

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of saline and water stresses on the germination of seeds and of saline stress on the development of seedlings of 'SCS437 Catarina' Passiflora edulis. The seeds were germinated on paper moistened with NaCl and PEG 6,000 solutions, at the osmotic potentials of 0.00, −0.25, −0.50, −0.75, −1.00, and −2.00 MPa. The produced seedlings were exposed only to NaCl. The seeds show tolerance to saline stress up to an osmotic potential of −0.75 MPa, while the seedlings present tolerance up to an osmotic potential of −0.50 MPa (10.96 mS cm−1).

Keywords

• Passiflora edulis
• osmotic stress
• salt stress
• tolerance