Variability and salt tolerance screening of maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines at seedling stage

Abstract

Soil salinity is increasing day by day due to climatic change which impedes maize (Zea mays L.) productivity worldwide. For this, a laboratory based salinity experiment with twenty maize inbred lines was conducted to investigate the genetic variability existed among the inbred lines and to observe the relationship of these inbred lines with eleven germination, shoot and root traits. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications and four NaCl treatments viz. 0 (T0), 5(T1), 10 (T2), and 15 (T3) dSm-1. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences for genotype, treatment and genotype × treatment interactions for most of the traits. The phenotypic variance, phenotypic coefficient of variation were higher than the corresponding genotypic variance and genotypic coefficient of variation, respectively for all traits. Germination percentage had higher genetic advance and shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, root fresh weight, root dry weight and root length had higher genetic advance as percentage of mean. The ranking based on all treatments and studied traits exhibited that the genotypes ML28, ML19, ML10, ML05, ML26 were top ranked due to their lower rank score and superior phenotypic performances. The principal component biplot analysis revealed strong associations between shoot and root traits under severe salt stress T3 (15 dsm-1) condition and the genotypes ML28, ML10, ML19, ML26 favored positively with these traits. These maize inbred lines could be designated as salt tolerant genotypes and further investigations under in vivo or field conditions with marker assisted breeding research are suggested. Variability……. Mst. Salma Masuda et al.