Relationship between ion accumulation and growth in two spring wheat lines differing in salt tolerance at different growth stages

A salt-tolerant line, S24, of spring wheat was compared with a salt-sensitive line, Yecora Rojo, in sand cultures at four different growth stages, i.e. germination, seedling, tillering and booting, under greenhouse conditions. The NaCl treatments used were 0 or 125 mol m(-3) in full strength Hoagland's nutrient solution. S24 exceeded Yecora Rojo in biomass or grain yield at the tillering and booting stages, but these lines did not differ at the initial growth stages, i.e. germination and seedling. The growth performance of the two lines at different growth stages was positively related to the pattern of accumulation of cations and anions. The superiority of S24 to Yecora Rojo at the two later growth stages was related to its relatively low accumulation of Na+ or Cl- and high accumulation of K+ in leaves. The former line also maintained higher leaf K/Na ratios, Ca/Na ratios, K versus Na selectivities and Ca versus Na selectivities than the latter particularly at the tillering and booting stages. Salt tolerance in spring wheat, in this study, is found to be age-dependent. The booting stage has been found as one of the most appropriate growth stages where maximum differentiation in salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive lines occurred. As is evident from previous studies with spring wheat, in the present study there is a positive correlation between partial exclusion of Na+ or Cl-1 from the tissues and maintenance of high tissue K/Na and Ca/Na ratios, and K versus Na and Ca versus Na selectivities, and salt tolerance of this crop.