Salt stress response of wheat–barley addition lines carrying chromosomes from the winter barley “Manas”

Abstract

The salt stress responses of wheat–barley addition lines (2H, 3H, 3HS, 4H, 6H, 7H and 7HL) were compared to those of the parental genotypes wheat cv. Asakaze and barley cv. Manas and two other wheat genotypes [Chinese Spring (CS) and Mv9kr1] during germination and in young plants grown in hydroponic culture with or without salt treatment. Among the wheat genotypes frequently used for interspecific hybridization, Asakaze possesses relatively high salt tolerance, as indicated by the less pronounced reduction in germination % and in root and shoot growth and the retention of high leaf water content and photosynthetic activity, as compared to CS and Mv9kr1. The barley cv. Manas showed better salt tolerance than wheat cv. Asakaze, although Manas accumulated more Na in the root, but its transport to the shoots is restricted. Among the addition lines tested, the disomic addition line 7H and ditelosomic line 7HL exhibited higher salt tolerance both during germination and in the early developmental stages than the wheat parent, which may be related to the elevated osmotic adjustment capacity of these addition lines, similar to that found for barley cv. Manas. The paper also discusses the effects of other chromosomes on the salt stress response.