ACID SOIL TOLERANCE OF TRITICUM-AESTIVUM L AND TRITICUM-DURUM DESF WHEAT GENOTYPES

Sixty entries of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and 22 entries of durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) were tested for acid soil tolerance. Wheat seedlings were grown in unlimed and limed acid soil, root elongation was measured, and relative root length was calculated as a measure of tolerance. Segregating populations of common wheat showed a high level of tolerance to soil acidity, indicating the presence of genes for acid soil/aluminum tolerance. The acid soil tolerance level of durum wheat generally was much lower than that of common wheat.