PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE OF SPRING DURUM WHEAT GENOTYPES TO SALINITY

Soil salinity is a serious threat in many parts of Iran, which negatively affects plant production. In order to investigate response of durum wheat to salinity, two genotypes, 'Turkey 506' (salt tolerant) and 'Egypt 557' (salt sensitive), were grown in hydroponic conditions, exposed to various salt levels (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mmol NaCl) in a split split plot based on randomized complete block design with three replications of each treatment. Salinity stress decreased relative water content (RWC), potassium content, potassium/sodium ratio, chlorophyll a (chla), chlorophyll b (chlb), and total chlorophyll contents, efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) and membrane stability index (MSI), and increased sodium, proline and soluble sugars concentrations and ratio of chla/chlb in both genotypes. The decrease in RWC, chla, chlb, Fv/Fm, and MSI were significantly higher in 'Egypt 557' than 'Turkey 506'. 'Turkey 506' showed higher content of potassium, potassium/sodium ratio, proline, and soluble sugar concentrations as well as lower sodium content as compared with 'Egypt 557'. The salinity tolerance of 'Turkey 506' is associated with higher RWC, potassium content, osmolyte concentrations, chlorophyll contents, Fv/Fm ratio, and maybe more vacuole sequestration of sodium.