A groundbreaking study by Abbas et al., published in 2023, reveals a promising solution for cultivating cucumbers in Pakistan’s challenging saline soil conditions. Pakistan, ranked as the 8th most climate-affected country globally, faces significant agricultural hurdles due to its semi-arid to arid climate, requiring extensive irrigation that often leads to secondary salinization.
Key Findings of the Study
- High Groundwater Salinity: Approximately 70% of Pakistan’s groundwater used in agriculture is brackish, contributing to soil salinization and impacting crop growth.
- Cucumber: A Salt-Sensitive Crop: Cucumbers, experiencing a 3.3% annual growth rate in Pakistan, are notably sensitive to salt, necessitating innovative cultivation methods.
- Grafting technique with Indigenous Landraces: The research focused on using indigenous cucurbit landraces as rootstocks for grafting cucumbers, exploring varieties like bottle gourd (cv. Faisalabad Round), pumpkin, sponge gourd, and ridge gourd.
The Experiment
Conducted in a lath house using non-perforated pots, the study tested the effectiveness of these landraces in enhancing cucumber’s (cv. Yahla F1) tolerance to salinity. Researchers applied four salt (NaCl) treatments to assess their impact on grafted and non-grafted cucumber plants.
Breakthrough Results
- Enhanced Salt Tolerance: Cucumbers demonstrated higher salt tolerance using the Grafting technique than non-grafted plants.
- Bottle Gourd as Superior Rootstock: The indigenous bottle gourd landrace ‘cv. Faisalabad Round’ stood out, showing remarkable salt tolerance and improving various growth attributes in cucumbers.
- Improved Growth Metrics: Significant improvements were noted in grafted plants’ shoot and root biomass, chlorophyll content, and antioxidant enzyme activities.
Scientific Validation
Validated through principal component analysis (PCA), the results confirmed that the bottle gourd landrace effectively upregulated vital morpho-physio-biochemical and yield attributes in cucumbers.
Implications for Sustainable Agriculture
This study offers hope for sustainable cucumber cultivation in saline environments. The indigenous bottle gourd landrace ‘cv. Faisalabad Round’ is a potential game-changer for farmers battling soil salinity issues. The researchers recommend further evaluating this grafting approach in moderate saline field conditions, aiming to develop hybrid rootstocks for enhanced cucumber production.
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Photo by mohamed hassouna on Unsplash
