Physiological and growth responses of pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) merrill) in different level of salinity and drought stress under in vitro culture

Abstract

The areas along the coastal line of the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia are largely covered with the 'Beach Ridges Interspersed with Swales' (BR1S) soil, where it is commonly faced with salt deposit problem and having severe drought condition during the middle of the year. The BR1S soil contains low water holding capacity, less nutrient and not suitable for cultivation of many crops species. Pineapple {Ananas comosus (L.) Merrill) is recorded as a crop originated from the arid region of the Central America, and it is believed to be tolerant under drought condition and might be very suitable to be cultivated in the BR1S (Beach Ridges Interspersed with Swales) soil area. Thus, a study was conducted to examine the effect of salinity and drought stress on three cultivated varieties (cultivar) of pineapple, namely "N36, Morris and Sarawak, by using the tissue culture techniques with the aim at determining the best pineapple variety for and cultivating under the BR1S soil condition.