A pot experiment was conducted in the two successive seasons
2004/2005 and 2005/2006 at the Experimental Nursery of the Ornamental
Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza,
Egypt., with the aim of investigating the tolerance of sisal plant (Agave
sisalana) to different levels of irrigation water salinity (0, 1000, 2000, 3000,
4000, 5000, 6000 and 7000 ppm) as NaCl & CaC12 (1:1 by weight). In
addition the effect of different fertilization treatments [unfertilized (control),
organic fertilization (50 g compost / pot), chemical fertilizer (NPK) (2 g / pot),
and compost plus NPK fertilizer], on reducing the unfavorable effects of
salinity on vegetative growth and anatomical structure. The recorded results
indicated that increasing salinity levels decreased most of the studied
parameters (plant height, number of leaves /plant, leaf area, leaf thickness,
and dry weights of foliage and fibrous roots /plant). The anatomical study
supported and explained the recorded reduction of morphological traits under
investigation due to salinity treatments. In general, it was noted that raising
the level of salinity of irrigation water caused gradual decreases in means of
all the studied characteristics in both seasons, and these decreases were
remarkable at a salinity level of 7000 ppm. On the other hand, the fertilization
treatments reduced, to some extent, the negative effect of salinity.