Abstract
Salinity is a major barrier to Egyptian clover production because it disrupts its growth, physiological, and biochemical processes, hence economically reducing yield. Laboratory and lysimeter experiments were conducted to evaluate five Egyptian clover genotypes (Sakha 4, Sakha 2000, Sakha 2014, Gemmiza 1 and Serw1) under three levels of saline irrigation water (control, 4.5 and 9.0 dS m-1) during 2018 / 2019 and 2019 / 2020 seasons. Results demonstrated that irrigation with 9.0 dS m-1 recorded the lowest values of all seed viability parameters, fresh, dry forage yields, plant height, number of stem, fresh leaf / stem and dry leaf/ stem percent, chlorophyll content, relative water content, K/ Na ratio, on contrary the contents of both proline and malondialdehyde (MDA) increased under irrigation with 9.0 dS m-1 as a result of salt stress. Among the studied five genotypes, Sakha 2014 was superior to other genotypes and ranked first in all studied traits except K/Na ratio, followed by Serw1 and Sakha 4 with insignificant differences between them, while Gemiza 1 and Sakha 2000 recorded the lowest values of physiological and agronomic traits also with insignificant differences between them. It could be concluded that the cultivation of Sakha 2014, Serw1, and Sakha4 is suitable to obtain high yield of Egyptian clover under saline conditions.
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