Salinity Tolerance of Some Cultivated Genotypes of Brassica Species at Germination and Early Seedling Growth

The experiment was conducted to study the salt tolerance in ten varieties of Brassica species during germination and early seedling growth. Seeds were germinated in Petridishes using saline water (0, 3, 6, 7.2, 10 and 12 dSm(-1)/EC levels) for inhibition. Germination count, length and dry weight of root and shoot were determined at 7th day. Germination, length and dry weight of root and shoot decreased significantly as the level of salt stress increased. Varieties of Brassica exhibited a wide range of variation, which in indicated by PR in root dry weight (RDW), shoot dry weight (SDW) and seedling dry weight. All parameters viz. NS, SS, PR, GM and SSI for seedling dry weight of salinized plants were positively correlated with RDW, SDW and seedling dry weight of non-salinized plants. Perfect positive correlation (r = 1**, P = 0.01) was observed between SSI and PR for seedling dry weight. On the basis of present findings of SSI values, for RDW, SDW and seedling dry weight, it clearly indicate that cv. Kranti proved tolerant at 6 and 7.2 dSm(-1) and behaved moderately at 10 dSm(-1) whereas cv. Vardan proved most salt sensitive at these salinity levels.