Response of Sugar Beet Genotypes under Salinity Stress in Central Areas of Iran

To evaluate sugar beet genotypes in saline and non-saline conditions, 30 genotypes were selected from Iranian Sugar Beet Seed Institute Breeding Program and planted in two salinity levels. The experiment took one agricultural year to complete in 2017. A total number of 28 sugar beet genotypes, including five genotypes as Controls, were cultivated, and subjected to two salinity levels of irrigation water, 2dS.m(-1) and 14dS.m(-1), in five replications within the format of complete randomized block design. Upon the establishment of the plants, the number of the plants on the cultivation lines was counted and thinning was done. The entire cultivation plots were harvested in technological harvesting time and the roots were counted, weighed, and finally sent to Sugar Beet Technology Laboratory affiliated with Sugar beet Seed Institute-Iran to be used for pulp determination and eventually undergo qualitative analysis. Data analysis was carried out in SAS and the mean comparisons were carried out using Duncan test in a 5% probability level and the interaction effects were examined by taking advantage of slicing method. The experiment results indicated that salinity has a significant effect on such traits as root yield, fresh and dry shoot weight, sugar content and molasses sugar. Salinity treatment had no significant effect on number of plants per hectare and number of roots in the plot. The salt tolerant genotypes selected in this experiment include genotypes 17, 29, 3 and 24, which require further examination in terms of yield stability.