Table 8.

Mean leaf area index (LAI), total dry matter (TDM in g), relative growth rate (RGR in g g⁻¹ day⁻¹), crop growth rate (CGR in g per plant⁻¹ day⁻¹), net assimilation rate (NAR in g per plant⁻¹ day⁻¹), and relative water content (RWC in %) values obtained from the 18 combinations of Salinity and Day. Within each column, means sharing the same letter are not significantly different from each other.

Salinity	Day	LAI	TDM	RGR	CGR	NAR	RWC
Control	72	1.05 n	1.22 l	0.122 c	0.148 d	0.141 ab	88.3 a
Control	79	1.84 k	2.47 j	0.074 d	0.180 bc	0.098 d	82.4 b
Control	86	2.68 c	3.95 d	0.033 e	0.131 d	0.048 e	72.6 e
Control	93	2.90 a	4.38 a	− 0.002 f	− 0.005 e	− 0.003 f	63.7 h
Control	100	2.66 d	4.23 bc	− 0.031 gh	− 0.125 fg	− 0.048 gh	55.1 j
Control	107	2.10 h	3.42 gh	− 0.053 i	− 0.180 h	− 0.084 i	50.1 k
Moderate	72	1.05 n	1.10 m	0.146 b	0.161 cd	0.153 a	82.3 b
Moderate	79	1.83 l	2.47 j	0.086 d	0.213 ab	0.116 c	75.2 d
Moderate	86	2.67 d	3.86 de	0.038 e	0.145 cd	0.054 e	67.3 g
Moderate	93	2.89 a	4.27 b	0.001 f	0.003 e	0.001 f	58.6 i
Moderate	100	2.65 e	4.18 c	− 0.024 g	− 0.100 f	− 0.038 g	50.0 k
Moderate	107	2.08 i	3.37 h	− 0.037 h	− 0.123 g	− 0.060 h	43.9 m
Severe	72	1.03 o	0.71 n	0.200 a	0.141 d	0.137 ab	77.5 c
Severe	79	1.79 m	2.13 k	0.110 c	0.235 a	0.131 bc	69.0 f
Severe	86	2.64 f	3.49 g	0.043 e	0.148 cd	0.056 e	63.0 h
Severe	93	2.87 b	3.79 e	− 0.004 f	− 0.014 e	− 0.005 f	54.6 j
Severe	100	2.61 g	3.67 f	− 0.029 gh	− 0.106 fg	− 0.040 g	45.9 l
Severe	107	2.03 j	2.79 i	− 0.032 gh	− 0.090 fg	− 0.045 gh	38.6 n