Effect of Sodium Chloride on Germination and Growth of Hexaploid Triticale at Early Seedling Stage

Abstract

Salt tolerance of ten cultivars of hexaploid triticale was assessed at the time of germination and at the early seedling stage in a laboratory experiment. Concentrations of the NaCl solutions employed in this experiment were 0, 50, 150, 250 and 350 mM. In none of the cultivars used in this experiment was it possible to obtain fully developed seedlings at 250 and 350 mM NaCl concentrations. Shoot growth was more sensitive to salinity than germination and root growth. It is, therefore, suggested that shoot growth is one of the most important characters for screening tests of salt tolerance in hexaploid triticale at this early stage of growth. Variation in salt tolerance among the ten cultivars was observed, with Currency, Yoreme, Welsh, and Beaver showing a higher salt tolerance in relation to germination and most of the seedling characters tested. On the other hand, Bronco was relatively, sensitive to salinity in relation to both germination and seedlings characters. The varietal differences in salt tolerance were not ascribed to differences in the cytoplasm and chromosome constitution.