Host Plant Regulates Growth Processes, Ion Homeostasis, and Salinity Tolerance of Sandalwood (Santalum album L.)

Salinity is one of the most detrimental abiotic stresses to the productivity of crops. Saline lands can be easily transformed into commercial forest plantations by growing high value tree species. Therefore, present investigation was undertaken to assess the effect of saline irrigation (ECiw ~ 9), including control, and ten different host species (Melia dubia, Dalbergia sissoo, Azadirachta indica, Casuarina equisetifolia, Acacia ampliceps, Citrus aurantium, Punica granatum, Syzygium cumini, Phyllanthus emblica, and Leucaena leucocephala) on growth, physiological processes and salinity tolerance of sandalwood (Santalum album L.). Results revealed that hosts D. sissoo, A. indica, and M. dubia maintained high (p < 0.05) K+ /Na+ ratio and resulted in higher growth of sandalwood under salinity stress. The plant growth traits of sandalwood showed variable trends of decline with different hosts under the same conditions. The biomass of sandalwood decreased by 41–75% under salinity stress; resulting in the substantial differences for salinity tolerance varying from 25 to 59.8%. Sandalwood grown with D. sissoo produced maximum (p  <  0.05) biomass under salinity stress as well as depicted higher salinity tolerance. The growth parameters (collar diameter, height, and biomass) of sandalwood exhibited a highly negative (p <  0.05) correlation with Na+ ion under salinity stress. Hosts M. dubia, D. sissoo, and A. indica showed only a slight decline in growth and biomass of sandalwood under salinity stress. Results suggested that sandalwood growth is modulated mainly by host species under both control and salinity stress, and thus have immense potential for cultivation with suitable host in the degraded saline soils.