Effect of salinity and organic matters on chemical composition and root morphology of pistachio seedlings

To study the effect of salinity and organic matter on chemical composition and root morphology of pistachio cv. Badami, budded on seedling root stocks, a greenhouse experiment was conducted as a factorial based on a completely randomized design with three replications. Treatments consisted of four salinity (zero, 800, 1600 and 2400 mg NaCl kg-1 soil) and three organic matter (zero, two and four percent w/w) levels as farmyard manure. As salinity levels increased, shoot nitrogen concentration decreased. Organic matter application increased shoot nitrogen concentration and interaction of salinity and organic matter on this parameter was not significant. Also, salinity had no significant effect on shoot potassium content, while with increasing salinity, root potassium concentration decreased. Application of organic matter increased shoot and root potassium concentration. Adding salinity and organic matter levels increased shoot and root cu concentration significantly. Similar trend was observed on Fe concentration. As salinity levels elevated, root length and density significantly reduced. In addition, adding organic matter improved physical and nutritional soil properties, and because of that significantly increased root length and density and decreased soil penetration.