Response of seven tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cultivars produced in Benin to salinity stress at young plant stage

Abstract

In this study, we evaluated the salt resistance level of seven tomato cultivars Akikon, Tounvi, Thorgal, F1 Mongal, Padma, Petomech and TLCV15 at young plant stage. The experiment was laid out as a Randomized Complete Design (RCD) with four replications in a greenhouse. Three-week old plants from the seven cultivars were submitted in pots containing a mixture of potting soil and sand to five NaCl concentrations: 0; 30; 60; 90 and 120 mM NaCl corresponding respectively to an electric conductivity of 0.221; 3.827; 6.47; 10.56 and 14.02 dS.m-1 by irrigation every two days. Plant growth parameters were evaluated after two weeks. Salt effect caused a reduction of young plant growth whatever the growth parameter considered with a significant difference among cultivars. Growth of cultivars Padma, Akikon and Petomech was more affected by salt stress with two or three growth parameters significantly reduced at 30 mM NaCl whereas no growth parameter was significantly affected at less than 60 mM NaCl for cultivars Thorgal and Tounvi. Thus, cultivars Akikon, Petomech and Padma appeared as the most sensitive to salt stress. In contrast, cultivars Tounvi and Thorgal appeared as the most salt-resistant. Cultivars F1 Mongal and TLCV15 had intermediary behavior.