Response of the Durum Wheat Cultivar Um Qais (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum) to Salinity

Abstract

The threat of land degradation by salinization in Jordan has been increasing over the last decades. Therefore, information about the response of local cultivars to salinity is needed to help farmers choose the most productive cultivars for areas with salt-affected soils. A recently released durum wheat cultivar Um Qais (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum) has shown to be productive under normal conditions but to date there are no known studies on its tolerance to salinity. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the response of Um Qais cultivar to salinity. A field experiment was carried out in the Jordan Valley, which is known for its hot, dry climate during the summer and low rainfall and moderate temperature during the winter. Three water salinity levels (S): S1 (2 dS m−1), S2 (4 dS m−1), and S3 (8 dS m−1) with three irrigation amounts (R) (control = 120% (R1), 100% (R2), and 70% (R3)) were used in the field. A greenhouse experiment was conducted using four levels of saline water (S): S1 (0.65 dS m−1), S2 (4 dS m−1), S3 (8 dS m−1), and S4 (10 dS m−1). In both experiments, the leaf area index (LAI) and canopy height were measured during three growth stages, tillering, flag leaf, and maturity. The number of grains, grain yield, and above-ground biomass were measured after harvesting while soil salinity and pH were measured every three weeks during the growing season. The results showed that the maximum reduction in yield was of the 28% in the field experiment when the average soil salinity was of 6.8 ± 1.1 (standard error) dS m−1 at the middle stages of the season. Significant changes were shown in the treatments of the field experiments for maximum LAI, number of grains, and aboveground biomass, but not for plant height. For the greenhouse treatments, about 60% of the maximum grain yield was obtained when the average soil salinity was 9.94 ± 1.89 dS m−1 at the middle stage. Grain yield was the most sensitive parameter to the increase in soil salinity during the season. According to the findings of both experiments, Um Qais can be cultivated in moderately saline soils.

Soil and Water Quality Indicators of Diversified Farming Systems in a Saline Region of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

“…Saline water radically alters soil conditions [1][2][3], severely undermines freshwater reservoirs used for consumption and irrigation and threatens the survival of freshwater living organisms and livelihoods of inhabitants residing in the affected areas. In addition, numerous aspects of farming activities, including crop harvesting, farming systems, and more importantly, crop-livestock structure, are significantly hampered by sodicity (i.e., the amount of sodium held in a soil) -induced changes in chemical and physical properties and composition of soils [4][5][6][7][8].…”

Response of Ancient and Modern Wheat Varieties to Biochar Application: Effect on Hormone and Gene Expression Involved in Germination and Growth

“…It is the exclusive raw material used for pasta production, and a basic product of the Mediterranean diet. The area cultivated with durum wheat in Italy remained on an annual average of 1.6-1.8 million hectares [1], but the increased risk of land degradation due to unsustainable land practices and climate change could affect productivity [2].…”

Review of crop‐specific tolerance limits to acidity, salinity, and sodicity for seventeen cereal, pulse, and oilseed crops common to rainfed subtropical cropping systems

“…Note that lupin and mungbean have not been included due to a lack of data. Data used to construct figures has been derived from: (a) Bread Wheat (Bakker et al, 2010; Ballantyne, 1962; Fowler & Hamm, 1980; Francois, Maas, Donovan, & Youngs, 1986; Mosaffa & Sepaskhah, 2019; Naresh, Minhas, Goyal, Chauhan, & Gupta, 1993; Richards et al, 1987; Saqib, Akhtar, & Qureshi, 2004; Sharma et al, 1990; Sharma, Rao, Singh, Kumbhare, & Oosterbaan, 1994; Steppuhn, Wall, Rasiah, & Jame, 1996) (b) Durum Wheat (Francois et al, 1986; Hamdi, Suleiman, Hoogenboom, & Shelia, 2019; Katerji et al, 2003; Katerji et al, 2009; Richards et al, 1987; Royo & Abio, 2003; Steppuhn et al, 1996) (c) Barley (Bakker et al, 2010; Ben Khaled et al, 2012; Fowler & Hamm, 1980; Khan & Glenn, 1996; Mathinya, Rensburg, Mavimbela, & Barnard, 2019; McKenzie, Sprout, & Clark, 1983; Peters, 1983; Richards et al, 1987; Royo, Aragués, Playán, & Ortiz, 2000; Sharma et al, 1990; Slavich & Read, 1985; Slavich, Read, & Cullis, 1990) (d) Tritcale (Bakker et al, 2010; Francois, Donovan, Maas, & Rubenthaler, 1988; Richards et al, 1987) (e) Sorghum (Daniells, Holland, Young, Alston, & Bernardi, 2001; El‐Hamid & Hassanein, 1984; Francois, Donovan, & Maas, 1984; Igartua, Gracia, & Lasa, 1995; Ranjbar, Ghadiri, Razzaghi, Sepaskhah, & Edalat, 2015; Ulery & Ernst, 1997) (f) Maize (Amer, 2010; Azizian & Sepaskhah, 2014; Butcher et al, 2018; Feng, Zhang, & Zhang, 2019; Kaddah & Ghowail, 1964; Katerji et al, 2003) (g) Millet (Krishnamurthy, Upadhyaya, Purushothaman, et al, 2014; Nagaz, El Mokh, Masmoudi, & Ben Mechlia, 2017; Oleiwi, Faraj, Hasoun, & Alhamza,…”