AMELIORATIVE EFFECTS OF DI-POTASSIUM HYDROGEN ORTHOPHOSPHATE ON SALT-STRESSED EGGPLANT

To overcome salinity stress, a factorial experiment block design (4 x 7) was done on eggplant cv. 'Topaz F1' to investigate the effects of foliar sprays of di-potassium hydrogen orthophosphate (K2HPO4; 0 and 10 mM) on growth, yield and chemical composition under sodium chloride (NaCl; 0 and 50 mM) stress. Sodium chloride treatment produced less vegetative growth, dry matter, total sugar content and fruit yield as compared with those in control. However, free phenols increased in fruit by salinity treatment. Spraying K2HPO4 ameliorated the negative effects of salinity on plant growth, fruit yield, and fruit total sugar content. Sodium content increased by salinity and the sodium uptake did not reduce by application of K2HPO4. While spraying of K2HPO4 lowered the sodium accumulation in fruit. Potassium and calcium content in all plant parts and phosphorus, in shoot only were in the deficient ranges in plants treated with NaCl and these deficiencies were corrected by foliar application of K2HPO4.