Response of Some Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Genotypes to Salinity at Germination and Early Seedling Growth Stages

Establishment of seedlings at early growth stages of crop plants as one of the most important determinants of high yield is severely affected by soil salinity. Therefore, high germination rate and vigorous early growth under saline soils is preferred. In this study 15 wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars were used to investigate the effects of three salinity concentrations including 4, 8 and 16 dS m NaCl solution and 1 distilled water as control on their germination percent, radicle and hypocotyle length, seedling fresh and dry weight, radicle and hypocotyle dry weight. Results showed that increasing NaCl concentrations reduced germination percentage, radicle and hypocotyle length, seedling fresh and dry weight, radicle and hypocotyle dry weight. In all cultivars, germination percentage was decreased with increasing salinity up to 8 dS m NaCl. 1 The decrease in radicle length was more pronounced as compared to root in all NaCl salt treatments; however this decrease was more prominent in Dez cultivar than others. Great inhibition in root length was also recorded in Yavarous. Inia, Kavir and Chamran cultivars indicated the highest salt tolerance, while Dez, Vinak, Cross Adl and Star cultivars showed the lowest. In general, it can be concluded that to select cultivars for better salt stress tolerance at seedling stage coleoptile and root elongation may be used as breeding criterions. More vigorous cultivars like Inia and Kavir could be considered as plant materials which are useful to breeders for future development of salt tolerant wheat cultivars.