Compartive responses to salinity in wheat genotypes differing in salt tolerance 1-seeding growth and mineral relations

ABSTRACT

Caryopses of 2 Triticum estivum genotypes, differing in salt tolerance were grown hydroponically under natural environmental conditions [in the laboratory] with and without different concentrations of NaCl added to the growth medium. The effect of increasing NaCl levels on vegetative growth and mineral composition of shoot and root of the 2 cultivars has been studied. In general, 50 mM NaCl had no effect on the growth of shoot and root of both cultivars. NaCl at 100 mM significantly reduced fresh mass, dry mass and relative growth rate of shoot and root of Sakha 8 but only affected those of Giza 162 shoot, reduction was greater in Sakha 8. Salt treatment increased root/shoot, ratio in Giza 162 whereas it had no significant effect in Sakha 8. Shoot fresh mass/dry mass ratio was only decreased by high salt level in both cultivars. Increased salinity in the root medium significantly increased Na and Cl and decreased K levels in both shoot and root of Sakha 8 and Giza 162. At 100 mM NaCl, Sakha 8 shoot had greater Na concentration than that of Giza 162