Soil salinity usually causes reduction of growth of crops inducing nutritional disorders caused by the excess of salts, mainly NaCl. With the objective of studying the influence of different salinity levels upon growth of peach palm (Bactris gasipaes H.B.K.) seedlings, an experiment was established using nutrient solution, under greenhouse conditions at the Soil Science Departament of the Federal University Lavras Minas Gerais, state Brazil. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with seven treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of the following levels of NaCl: 0.0 and 0.5 Cl; 1 and 0.5 Cl (control); 5.0; 15.0; 30.0; 60.0 and 120.0 mmol L-1. The peach palm seedlings were benefited by Na in solution, up to 5 mmol L-1 of NaCl, however higher growth was obtained with 1mmol L-1 of Na and 0,05 mmol L-1 of Cl. At the initial growth phase, the peach palm was not tolerant to NaCl at doses from 15 mmol L-1 applied in the solution. The growth variables were negatively correlated with the electric conductivity of the solution.
Bactris gasipaes; chloride sodium phytotoxicity; electric conductivity
