morphological and biochemical response of eight pomegranate (punica granatum l.) cultivars under salinity stress

Purpose: identification of pomegranate cultivars with higher tolerance to salinity stress was the purpose of the current study. research method: one-year-old rooted cuttings of the pomegranate cultivars including 'malase saveh' ('m-saveh'), 'malase isfahan' ('m-isfahan'), 'robabe ghermeze shiraz' ('robab'), 'gabrie yazd' ('g-yazd'), gabrie torshe yazd' ('gt-yazd'), 'zaghe sefide yazd' ('zs-yazd'), 'zaghe torshe yazd' ('zt-yazd') and 'malase torshe pishva' ('m-pishva') were cultured in plastic pots and treated with different concentrations of sodium chloride in irrigation water including 0 (control), 3, 6, 9 and 12 ds m-1. findings: at 12 ds m- 1salinity level, the lowest decrease in plant height was observed in 'robab', and 'm-pishva' and the lowest decrease in the plant diameter was recorded in 'zt-yazd' and 'g-yazd'. at the same salinity level, 'gt-yazd' showed the lowest percentage of increase in electrolyte leakage (el) compared to the control (23%). the highest increase in proline content was observed at 9 ds m^-1 salinity for 'zsyazd' and at 12 ds m-1 salinity for 'gt-yazd'. at high salinity levels, leaf chlorophyll content decreased in pomegranate cultivars compared to the control. the activity of peroxidase enzyme in 'mpishva', zt-yazd' and 'gt-yazd' followed an increasing and then decreasing with increasing salinity levels. the activity of the superoxide dismutase enzyme was highest in 'g-yazd', 'm-isfahan' and 'robab'. limitations: investigation of salinity tolerance in pots is one of the limitations of this study. originality/value: yazd cultivars including 'g-yazd', 'gt-yazd', 'zs-yazd' and 'zt-yazd' were more tolerant to salinity stress.