Adaptability of Dekoko (Pisum sativum var. abyssinicum) Seedlings to Salinity Stress in In Vitro Culture Conditions

Dekoko (Pisum sativum var. abyssinicum) is one of the most important food legumes grown in south Tigray and north Wollo, northern Ethiopia. It is one among the most important food legumes in terms of protein content. It grows mixed and alone with many cereal crops growing in north Ethiopia. This study was conducted in 2015/2016with the objective of selecting adaptable and relatively high yielding P. sativum var. abyssinicum accessions under different salt (NaCl) concentrations at laboratory conditions. The seeds for the 30 accessions were obtained from nine districts of two regional states of north Ethiopia with different attitudinal ranges 700 m.a.s.l being the lowest and 3148 m.a.s.l the highest. Of the 30 on farm and wire house tested accession, six better performing local accessions, three from Ofla (T-001/08OF, T-002/08OF and, T-003/08OF), one from Sirinka (TA-026/15Sr), one from Emba-Alaje (T-025/15E/A),and one from Endamohoni (T-023/08MW) were selected for this study for salt stress resistances in controlled condition by priming in four salt treatment levels (5 dS/m, 7 dS/m, 9 dS/m and 15 dS/m). Distilled water (0 dS/m) was used as control. Fifty (50) surface sterilized seeds per Petri dish were sown for the four salt treatments and the control. Accessions T-001/08 from Ofla and T-023/08 from Endamohoni showed good growth performance at 5 dS/m. However, TA-026/15Sr from Sirinka and T-025/15E/A from Betmara (Emba-Alaje) respond positively up to 7dS/m. At higher salinity level growth performance decreased with increasing salinity stress. But, T-023/08MW, T-001/08OF,TA-026/15Sr followed by T-025/15E/A from lower to the higher resistances respectively could withstand lower to medium concentrations of salinity as compared to the other accessions. Accepted: 11 January 2016 Available Online: 25 January 2017