Salt tolerance analysis of chickpea, faba bean and durum wheat varieties - II. Durum wheat

Seven varieties of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum), provided by ICARDA, were tested in a greenhouse experiment for their salt tolerance. Afterwards two varieties, differing in salt tolerance, were irrigated with waters of three different salinity levels in a lysimeter experiment to analyse their salt tolerance. The characteristics of the salt tolerant variety compared to the salt sensitive variety are: a shorter growing season and earlier senescence; a higher pre-dawn leaf water potential; a stronger osmotic adjustment; a better maintenance of the number of productive stems per plant. Salt tolerance of durum wheat corresponds with drought tolerance because the tolerance is caused by earlier senescence and stronger osmotic adjustment, both reducing the transpiration of the plant. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.