Evaluation of Sodium, Potassium, and Chlorine Elements in Superior Interspecies Hybrids of Pistacia atlantica (Desf.) and Pistacia integerrima (Arota) Compared to the UCB1 Rootstock under Salt Stress

Heydari, Mohsen; Nazari, Ali; Hokmabadi, Hossein; Masoumi, Jalaleddin

doi:10.22059/ijhst.2025.385347.963

Evaluation of Sodium, Potassium, and Chlorine Elements in Superior Interspecies Hybrids of Pistacia atlantica (Desf.) and Pistacia integerrima (Arota) Compared to the UCB1 Rootstock under Salt Stress

Document Type : Research paper

Authors

Ruyesh Sabz Farda (Pistat) Horticultural Technologies Research Center, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/ijhst.2025.385347.963

Abstract

The current research aimed to evaluate salinity tolerance in sixteen promising hybrids of P. atlantica × P. integerrima. The sixteen hybrids were selected for plant vigor as promising rootstocks in earlier research. Salinity tolerance was applied at 0.5, 8, and 16 dS m-1 on the hybrids for 4 months. Each hybrid was propagated by seed to achieve 3 replicates per hybrid. Each hybrid was evaluated for the response to salinity stress by evaluating sodium, potassium, and chlorine contents, as well as stem diameter, after the salinity treatments. The UCB-1 rootstock served as the control, on which comparative assessments of the sixteen hybrids were made. The results showed that leaf and root sodium contents were lowest in 'AI6' (0.5834) and 'AI16' (0.9769), respectively. The leaf and root chlorine contents were lowest in 'AI12' (1.0658) and 'AI7' (1.2179), respectively. The highest leaf and root potassium contents were observed in 'AI13' (1.4507) and 'UCB1' (1.1731), respectively. 'AI13' showed the highest ST ratio (7.5611), indicating potentially elevated sodium content in stem tissues compared to others. The largest stem diameter was observed in 'AI4' (2.8292 cm). Thus, it can be concluded that the most salt-tolerant hybrids were 'AI4', 'AI13', 'AI2', and 'AI1'. Depending on the specific physiological trait measured, these hybrids can be potentially used for future breeding programs to increase salinity tolerance in pistachio rootstocks. These hybrids can expand orchard establishment in saline soils where the UCB-1 rootstock performs undesirably.

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