A preliminary study on salt tolerance of some barley genotypes

Özet

In this study, salt (NaCl) tolerance of five barley genotypes (Avcı-2002, Aydanhanım, Bülbül- 89, Orza-96, Tarm-92) was investigated. These genotypes were exposed to different salt concentrations (0 mM (control), 100 mM, 200 mM and 300 mM) and then some basic growth parameters (root length, shoot length total plant length, fresh weight, dry weight) were determined on the 18 d old plants. Tolerance indices for each genotype were calculated on the basis of root and shoot length. Salt stress significantly inhibited root and shoot growth in all genotypes, except for genotype Bülbül-89. Inhibition degree of root and shoot growth was found to be proportional to the salt concentrations applied. Maximum inhibitory effect of salinity on root and shoot growth was observed in genotype Avcı-2002 at maximum salinity level (300 mM), while Bülbül-89 was less affected by the same level of salinity. In addition, salt stress disturbed water relation in barley genotypes dependent on the organ type, as demonstrated by more severe inhibition in shoot fresh weight as compared to root fresh weight. These results may show that salt stress reduced translocation of water from roots to shoots rather than water uptake from growth medium in barley genotypes used in this study. Changes in dry weight of roots and shoots indicated that salt stress more severely reduced biomass accumulation in roots in barley genotypes. The calculated tolerance indices demonstrated that Bülbül-89 is the most tolerant barley genotype to salinity, while Avcı-2002 was the most susceptible one.