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Responses of Kenaf to Salt Stress: Germination and Vegetative Growth¹

The response of kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), a stem-fiber plant, to salt stress was investigated during germination and early growth in solution culture under greenhouse conditions. Kenaf has been considered for use as a summer crop in areas with warm summers and low quality water. Germination was only slightly impaired by NaCl salinity up to 200 mmol L^–1. Dry weight accumulation after 6 weeks growth was reduced 20 to 40% by 75 mmol L^–1 NaCl (E.C. 7.8 dS m^–1) and 70 to 80% by 150 mmol L^–1 (E.C. 14.0 dS m^–1). Vegetative development of the three cultivars, C-108, G-45, and E-71, and the breeding line 15-2X, were similar under these salt treatments. Rate of leaf emergence and leaf relative growth rate both declined linearly with increasing salt stress. Kenaf responds to salt stress by excluding Na⁺ from the shoot and partitioning Na⁺ and Cl^– away from expanding leaf tissue. It is suggested that kenaf is suitable for cultivation with irrigation water of marginal quality but not in severely salt affected areas.

Key Words: Plastochron index • Leaf relative growth rate • Leaf emergence rate • New crops

² Graduate research assistant and professor of plant nutrition, repsectively.

Received for publication May 21, 1984.