Abstract
Physiological parameters conferring salt tolerance in wheat were studied in two sets of experiment. Selected and non-selected population of LU 265 and LYP 73 were tested in set-I at EC of 0, 10 and 20 dS m-1 while LU 26S (selected and non-selected) in set-11 at 15 dS m-1. There was significant reduction in tillering fresh shoot and root weights, grain and straw yields in non-selected compared to selected populations of both the cultivars under saline conditions. Glume, rachis and seed of selected LU 265, maintained tower concentrations of Na Mg +2 and Cl- but higher concentrations of K+, Ca+ 2 and K+ iNa+ compared to its non-selected population. The best correlation of grain yield was found with number of tillers, shoot and root dry weights and ionic concentrations in plumes. For salt tolerance studies„ analysis of glume was found more representative than rachis and leaf cell sap.
INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS
Wheat is cultivated on an area of about 7 million hectares with grain production of about 13 million tonnes (Bajwa et at., 1983). However, within the area of irrigted wheat production it is estimated thatk!bout 1.2 million hectares are affected dill to satin-ityisodicity causing annual loss of 2-3 mil-lion tonnes of grain (Qayyum and Malik, 1988). This alarming situation warrants the need to develop whit& cultivar which could produce substantial yield under such adverse conditions. it is, therefore, necessary to investigate the salt tolerance potential of ivimaat cultivars as some lines of Triticum aestivum L. possess varying tolerance to salinity in a much better wayitt,f-in the others (Oureshi et al., 1990). The „F.resent study deals with t-he -comparison- ...of -selected • vs non-selected population of_two wheat eu-Iti-lairs LU 26S and -LYP 73 for their ability to tolerate salinity.
Two solution culture experiments (set I and 11) were conducted in the net house, Department of Soil Science, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad to ascertain the dif-ferences for various physiological parame-ters conferring salt tolerance in selected and non-selected populations of two wheat culti-vars (LU 26S and LYP 73). Selected and non-selected populations of both the culti-vars (LU 26S and LYP 73) were tested in set-I at EC 0, 1D and 20 (.15 m-1 whereas in set II LU 265 (selected and non-selected) was grown at EC 15 dS m-1. The experiment was laid out in completely randomized de-sign with four repeats. The experimental set up and the techniques used were almost similar to those of Oureshi et al. (1990). Fully expanded leaves from each set were sampled before harvesting for analyses of different ions from the sap.
