Salt Tolerance of Tomato Plants
Tomatoes can generally tolerate sufficient salt to be implanted in coastal areas. Because they are often grown where irrigation is inferior or brackish, there has been a lot of research into raising their salt tolerance. Salt tolerance is a intricate procedure which isn’t controlled by a single gene, so attempts at mating salt-tolerant tomatoes have been ineffective. Genetically engineered salt-tolerant tomatoes have been developed at University of California, Davis. Some cultural methods can increase salt tolerance marginally.
Seed Priming
Tomato seeds have a low germination rate in soil which contains high levels of salt. To improve the germination rate of the seed implanted in salty soil, soak them overnight in a solution of 1 to 2 teaspoons salt in 1 liter water. The plants grown from the treated seed grow faster, create more fruit in maturity have greater organic acid and sugar concentration in their leaves compared to untreated tomatoes in precisely the identical soil.
Relative Humidity
The high temperatures and dry air Mediterranean-type and desert climates increases water pressure in plants. Salt in soil or irrigation water also increases stress. When those to stresses are united, they often result in damage to the plants and decreased fruit production. Misting the tomato plants, even with saline water, reduces the climatic stress and enables them to tolerate the salt pressure. In experiments, this increased the yield of plants grown in salty soil by 50 percent.
Grafting
Grafting is normal in fruit trees but is seldom used to increase vegetable yields. Experiments with tomatoes have increased yields by 60 percent once the tomatoes are grown in salty soil, according to a study published in “Journal of Experimental Biology” in March 2006. A high-yield tomato was grafted onto salt-tolerant rootstock. The roots were able to grow from the salty soil along with the graft appeared to block the transport of salt throughout the union of both varieties.
Salt Avoidance
Building constructions or fences and planting salt-tolerant trees and shrubs to prevent salt spray and salt-laden breezes can protect vegetables grown close to the ocean from the salt. Regular dermis with water that does not have a high salt content can wash salt spray off the leaves or sesame salt from the ground.