Characterizing some Egyptian Bread Wheat Cultivars for Salinity Tolerance

Abstract

In order to investigate sixteen commercial Egyptian bread wheat cultivars and 2 promising lines for salt tolerance, pot experiment was conducted in cage-house at Wheat Research Department and the Laboratory of Soil Improvement and Conservation Department, Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Kafrelsheikh, Egypt during the two seasons 2015/2016 and 2016/2017. Four salt treatments (0.5, 3.5, 7.0, and 10.5 dSm-1) were induced using diluted Mediterranean seawater. Each salt treatment was considered as an independent experiment and combined analysis were done. Stress tolerance index and carve estimation were established to characterize salinity tolerance for the studied genotypes. The results showed that increasing salinity levels causes significant decrease in all studied characteristics. Four Egyptian bread wheat cultivars (Shandweel 1, Gemmiza 10, Sakha 93 and Misr 2) and Line 1 showed desirable values of salinity susceptibility index (SSI< 1) under both 7.0 and 10.5 dSm-1. So, it may be considered as salinity tolerance genotypes and can be used as a source of improving salinity tolerance in the wheat breeding program and cultivation under salt affected soils. Line 1 could be evaluated in the national yield trials to be released as a new cultivar for salt affected soil. Sakha 95 and Misr 1 cultivars showed high yield potentiality and desirable values for SSI under 7.0 dSm-1, while their SSI values under 10.5 dSm-1 were almost 1 and might be recommended also for cultivation under medium salinity soils.