| Salt tolerance in certain mutants of common wheat variety
HD 2009 Devender KUMAR Haryana Agricultural University, Regional Research Station, Bawal - 123501 Haryana (India). The yield return of field crops in the semi-arid and arid zones have considerably been poor owing to mainly presence of underground saline water. Even the stable and medium tolerant crop like wheat is not exception to it under medium to abrupt saline lands. The use of tolerant genotypes in such conditions is known to show edge over other means - soil reclamation and management practices. Thus, salt tolerance assessment of the cultivars which are of recent origin and improved, is regarded a continuous process. Furthermore, induced heritable differences for salt tolerance in wheat are also on records (Kumar et al. 1980, 1981). This study was, therefore, a step ahead to ascertain comparative salt tolerance of three stable mutants alongwith parental variety following application with synthetic saline waters. Material and Methods Amongst the mutants of HD 2009 wheat (Kumar 1978), after subsequent screening, three promising ones were evaluated for salt tolerance in M5 during 1979-80. The soil of the site was sandy loam, light textured and possessed 1.5 mmhos/cm ECe. A split-plot design with three repeats was used. Levels of salinity (2.1, 8, 12 and 16 mmhos/cm) were assigned to main plots (6.0 x 2.0 m) and the genotypes to 2 m long rows in each plot at a distance of 25 cm apart. Waters of desired salinity were prepared as reported by Kumar et al.1980. Equal quantity of seeds (@ 100 kg/ha) was sown for each genotype. Data on yield components and root characters were recorded on 10 random plants/plot whereas yield was assessed per plot basis. Mineral analysis in leaf (heading stage) and grain (maturity) for N, P, K, Ca and Na were done as following CHAUHAN et al. (1980). Results and Discussion The means for yield components and root characters decreased with a significant margin at 8 mmhos/cm EC onwards (Table 1). On the contrary, grain yield was little higher to control at the initial salinity and decreased markedly at 12 mmhos/cm EC onwards. Yield was, therefore, more adversely affected compared to its components. For instance, grain yield declined to an extent of 80% at 16 mmhos/cm EC over control. The decrease in yield components was rather low to the extent of 11.74, 40.40 and 55.35% in 1000-grain weight, plant height and tillers/plant, respectively at the highest salinity over control. These results are similar to those of KUMAR et al. (1980, 1981) that yield was more affected than its components. Compared to yield components, the adverse effects of salinity were of quite large extent on root characters i.e. 66.54 and 90.90% reduction in root length and root volume was recorded at the highest salinity over control. It is thus, placable on records that yield decline in present study was, mainly due to greater adverse affects of salinity on tillering, root length and its development. |
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