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Abstract
Soil salinity is one of the major environmental problems limiting seed germination and crop productivity in tropical agriculture. Corchorus olitorius L. (jute) is an important fibre and vegetable crop in Nigeria, yet its early growth is highly sensitive to saline conditions. This study evaluated the physiological response of two jute landraces. Landrace C (from NIHORT) and Landrace D (from Delta State) were treated to different salt concentrations to determine their level of tolerance. The experiment was conducted using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with five sodium chloride (NaCl) levels: 5 ppm (control), 200, 2000, 5000, and 10,000 ppm, each replicated three times. Growth parameters observed included germination percentage, shoot height, number of leaves, stem girth, number of branches, internode length, and leaf area. Data collected were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at a 5% significance level. Results showed that salt stress caused a steady decline in all growth parameters. Landrace C had the highest germination rate (90.00 ± 17.32%) and best seedling growth at 200–2000 ppm, recording maximum shoot height (26.83 ± 4.64 cm) and leaf number (34.67 ± 1.70). Landrace D performed poorly, with peak germination at 200 ppm (20.00 ± 0.00%) and no growth beyond 2000 ppm. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated significant differences (p < 0.05) among treatments and between landraces. Overall, Landrace C exhibited stronger salt tolerance due to better osmotic adjustment and growth stability, making it suitable for cultivation and improvement in saline prone soil.
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