Salinity effect on root and shoot characteristics of common and tepary beans evaluated under hydroponic solution and sand culture

Abstract

Abstract The effects of increased salinity [NaCl + CaCl2] on seedling of three tepary and four common bean cultivars/lines, of known resistance and susceptibility at germination stage, grown for thirty‐eight‐days in salinized hydroponic and sand cultures were assessed at electrical conductivity (EC) of 1.89 (control), 4.00, 8.00, and 12.00 dS/m of half strength Hoagland solution inside a glasshouse at 30/25±2°C day/night temperature. The hydroponic culture screening method was more severe than the sand culture method. Common bean cultivars/lines expressed genetic variability to salinity stress at thirty‐eight‐days old seedlings. ‘Badrieh’ was tolerant to salinity as the tolerant tepary bean T#l line under sand culture. However, this was not evident under hydroponic culture. T#l showed salinity injury symptoms at EC = 4 dS/m, while ‘Badrieh’ showed’ no salinity injury symptoms at EC = 4 dS/m. These results indicate that the mechanisms involved for tolerating salinity in the tepary could be different from t...