Performance of Various Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Cultivars under Salinity Stress

Abstract

Salinity is an abiotic stress limiting the physiological mechanisms, growth and yield in wheat. The aim of this research was to evaluate various wheat verities under different salinity stresses. The data was collected for the study using a CRD design with three replications. For the pot experiment, five different wheat types were chosen: Sarsabz, Kiran-95, T.D.-1, T.J.-83, and Moomal to find out the tolerant cultivar under four different salinity (NaCl) levels viz; 0, 4, 8, and 12 dSm-1. The results further suggested that cultivar Sarsabz shows higher levels of proline (12.12 μmol g-1) and glycine betaine (14.18 μmol g-1)when compared to the control. Furthermore, at 12 dSm-1, the K+/Na+ ratio was higher in Sarsabz, Moomal, and Kiran-95, indicating that these cultivars were more salinity-tolerant than the others. The T.J.-83 and Kiran-95 cultivars demonstrated enhanced yield at the maximum salinity threshold of 12 dSm-1. Findings from the interaction between Moomal and control (non-treated) led to the highest 1000grain weight (52.1g). The Sarsabz, Moomal, and T.J.-83 strains showed tolerance by having higher amounts of proline, glycine-betaine and cell membrane stability. Such concentration of proline, glycinebetaineand sufficient concentrations of K+ over Na+ in the cytoplasm can lead the plants for tolerance.