There was a significant (p < 0.05) interaction among NaCl, K Levels and
cultivars for Na concentration in shoots and roots of sugarcane (Table 2).
Results revealed an increase in shoot Na concentration in salt sensitive and
salt tolerant cultivars at 80 mM NaCl as compared to the control treatment.
Additional supply of K under saline conditions decreased the concentration
of Na in shoots by 39% and 61% in salt sensitive cultivar while 19% and 33%
in salt tolerant cultivar at 2.5 mM and 5 mM K, respectively as compared
to the salt stressed plants without K nutrition. Root Na accumulation was
also significantly (p < 0.05) increased in both cultivars at increased NaCl
induced salinity. Addition of K2SO4 to saline nutrient solution restricted the
translocation of Na to shoot and hence increased its accumulation in roots
of both cultivars, particularly, in salt tolerant cultivar.
Root:shoot Na ratio was increased by 54% in salt sensitive cultivar and
11% in salt tolerant cultivar when NaCl concentration was increased to
80 mM (Table 2). However, K nutrition resulted in a marked decrease in
shoot Na accumulation and increase in root:shoot Na ratio for salt sensitive
and salt tolerant cultivars under saline condition at 2.5 and 5 mM K
concentrations