GERMINATION AND EARLY SEEDLING GROWTH OF FIVE DURUM WHEAT CULTIVARS (TRITICUM DURUM DESF.) IS AFFECTED BY DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SALINITY

Under salinity, at early growth stages such as germination and seedlings stand embellishment of the most of the plants is sensitive and ultimately reduced the final yield. Therefore, high germination rate and early vigorous growth of plant should be preferred to grow under saline condition. In the context, an investigation was undertaken at Plant Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Cukurova University, Turkey under controlled environmental condition, to evaluate the impacts of salinity on germination, early seedling growth and development of commercial durum wheat cultivars and to screen out the salt tolerant wheat cultivar (s) that are suitable to grow and expand of wheat in Central Anatolia Region of Turkey, under different levels of salinity. Treatments were six concentrations of salt i.e., 0, 50, 75, 100, 150 and 200 mM NaCl and five selected durum wheat genotypes (Triticum durum (Desf.) viz., 'cakmak 79', 'Cultivar 1252', 'Kunduru 1149', 'Kiziltan 91' and 'Selcuklu 97'. Treatments were arranged in complete randomized block design with four replications in a greenhouse under control environment. Different levels of salinity were applied every day in each plot according to treatments, started from the second day of sowing and continued up to harvest. The results showed that the values for the investigated traits such as shoot, root length, fresh and dry weight as well as their elongation rate were significantly affected with the increasing levels of salinity, but varied depending on cultivars and levels of salinity. Sodium (Na+) content in plant was increased with increased of salinity levels, but K+ content was decreased, while other minerals were varied, according to genotypes. Considering on percent salt tolerance index, the highest fresh (FWSI), dry weight (DWSI) and salt tolerance index, were recorded from the wheat cultivar 'Selcuklu 97'. Therefore, cultivar 'Selcuklu 97' may be considered as a salt tolerant genotype and recommended to grow under salinity region in Turkey.