Identification and Characterization of Salt Tolerance of Wheat Germplasm Using a Multivariable Screening Approach

Abstract

Salinity is one of the major limitations to wheat production worldwide. This study was designed to evaluate the level of genetic variation among 150 internationally derived wheat genotypes for salinity tolerance at germination, seedling and adult plant stages, with the aim of identifying new genetic resources with desirable adaptation characteristics for breeding programmes and further genetic studies. In all the growth stages, genotype and salt treatment effects were observed. Salt stress caused 33 %, 51 % and 82 % reductions in germination vigor, seedling shoot dry matter and seed grain yield, respectively. The rate of root and shoot water loss due to salt stress exhibited significant negative correlation with shoot K + , but not with shoot Na + and shoot K + /Na + ratio. The genotypes showed a wide spectrum of response to salt stress across the growth stages; however, four genotypes, Altay2000, 14IWWYTIR-19 and UZ-11CWA-8 (tolerant) and Bobur (sensitive), exhibited consistent responses to salinity across the three growth stages. The tolerant genotypes possessed better ability to maintain stable osmotic potential, low Na + accumulation, higher shoot K + concentrations, higher rates of PSII activity, maximal photochemical efficiency and lower nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ), resulting in the significantly higher dry matter production observed under salt stress. The identified genotypes could be used as parents in breeding for new varieties with improved salt tolerance as well as in further genetic studies to uncover the genetic mechanisms governing salt stress response in wheat.

Bread wheat responds salt stress better than einkorn wheat does during germination

“…Coleoptile length and root dry weight (-0.36) and shoot length and root fresh weight (-0.35) were negatively but not significantly correlated. Similar results were reported by Askari et al (2016) and Oyiga et al (2016).…”

“…After 4 days germination rate (%) and after 8 days germination power (%), coleoptile length (cm), shoot length (cm), root length (cm), shoot root length ratio, fresh root weight (mg), dry root weight (mg), and root fresh dry weight ratio were measured. Salt total tolerance indices based on genotype character measurements and salt rank tolerance indices based on genotype character rankings (Zencirci et al, 1990;Askari et al, 2016;Oyiga et al, 2016) were calculated and salt tolerant and susceptible wheat genotypes were determined.…”

“…monococcum) populations An overall dendrogram based on the averages of 22 wheat genotypes clearly grouped wheat entries separately (Figure 1). In other words, bread wheat cultivars differed from einkorn populations for germination characters, as indicated by salt total tolerance and salt tolerance indices (Zencirci et al, 1990;Askari et al, 2016;Oyiga et al, 2016). Salt susceptible einkorn populations, Population-14, Population-10, Population-9, Population-4, and Population-11, were in one group.…”

Comparative Performance of Multivariable Agro-Physiological Parameters for Detecting Salt Tolerance of Wheat Cultivars under Simulated Saline Field Growing Conditions

“…Therefore, all parameters related to the accumulation and the resulting ratios of ions, particularly Na + , K + , and Ca 2+ , could be considered as key physiological criteria for the differentiation between salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive genotypes. In most salinity studies with various crops, the salt tolerance has been found to be related to the potential of genotypes to restrict Na + influx or compartmentalize it into the vacuole, as well as permanent acquisition of K + and Ca 2+ (El-Hendawy et al, 2005a; Nawaz et al, 2010; Zhang et al, 2014; Ashraf and Ashraf, 2015; Oyiga et al, 2016). …”

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“…The more salt tolerant of bread wheat genotypes compared with the einkorn wheat (Aslan et al, 2015). The wheat genotypes differ from the percentage of germination and seedling characters due to different salt levels, and recorded different salt tolerance indices that discriminates tolerant and susceptible varieties effectively (Oyiga et al, 2016). The genotypes of Kırmızı Yerli, Conkesme, and Türkmen were careful drought-resistant based on two out of the three physiological parameters indices.…”