Candidate Cultivars Research Articles

SUPERIOR LINES FOR AGRO-TECHNOLOGICAL TRAITS IN SAFFLOWER (Carthamus tinctorius L.)

In safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) breeding, determining superior pure lines after crossing for agro-technological traits is the first step to improve new cultivar candidates. Therefore, aim of the study was to determine superior pure lines of sufflower in F9-10 derived three intraspecific crosses evaluating the agronomical and technological (quality) traits. A total of 25 safflower genotypes including 15 pure lines was compared with 10 standard cultivars (Dincer 5-18-1, Centennial, Remzibey-05, Balci, Linas, Olas, Gelendost-2, Gokturk, Montola 2000 and W6 9822) and genotypes along with parents of lines for two years in 2017-2018. GEMO-20 had higher 1000-seed weight, GECE-8 and GEMO-20 had higher oil content, GEMO-19, 28 and GEW6-7 had higher oil yield, GEMO-28 and GEW6-7 had higher seed yield than standard cultivars. According to 1000-seed weight, oil content, seed and oil yield traits, GEMO-19, GEMO-20, GEMO-28 and GEW6-7 lines were identified as superior lines.

Breeding Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Adapted to Subtropical Agroecosystems

Alfalfa is planted in more than 30 million hectares worldwide, but despite its popularity in temperate regions, it is not widely grown in subtropical agroecosystems. It is critical to improve alfalfa for such regions, considering current predictions of global warming and the increasing demands for animal-based products. In this study, we examined the diversity present in subtropical alfalfa germplasm and reported genetic parameters for forage production. An initial screening was performed from 2014 to 2016, evaluating 121 populations from different subtropical origins. Then, a breeding population was created by crossing selected plants, resulting in 145 full-sib and 36 half-sib families, which were planted in a row-column design with augmented representation of three controls (‘Bulldog805′, ‘FL99′ and ‘UF2015′). Dry matter yield (DMY), canopy height (AH), and percentage blooming (BLOOM) were measured across several harvests. Moderate narrow-sense heritability and high genetic correlations between consecutive harvests were estimated for all traits. The breeding line UF2015 produced higher DMY than FL99 and Bulldog805, and it could be a candidate cultivar release. Several families produced higher DMY than all checks, and they can be utilized to develop high yielding and adapted alfalfa cultivars for subtropical agroecosystems.

Use of Genotype by Yield*Trait (GYT) Analysis to Select Hard Red Spring Wheat with Elevated Performance for Agronomic and Disease Resistance Traits

Elevating resistance levels to bacterial leaf streak (BLS), caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. translucens (Jones, Johnson, & Reddy) and Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe (telomorph Gibberella zeae (Schwein.) Petch) are major objectives of several hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.; HRSW) breeding programs situated in the northern Great Plains of the USA. High grain yield significantly contributes to the success of HRSW cultivars. Other traits, such as disease resistance, are most useful when accompanied by high grain yield in a single genotype. The genotype by yield-trait (GYT) analysis method aids in selecting genotypes with elevated performance levels for traits of consideration in the presence of high grain yield. Replicated yield trial data was subjected to GYT analysis to demonstrate its utility for selecting HRSW genotypes for use as parents and further consideration toward cultivar release. Genotype selections were identified based on overall performance while strong and weak characteristics were also investigated. Several genotypes were selected for potential use as parents while three were chosen for further cultivar release consideration. Performance levels associated with two of the three candidate cultivars were greater than average for all traits considered.

Some Pomological Properties of Promising Seed Propagated Walnut Genotypes from Inner Turkey

In this study, fruits from seed propagated walnut (Juglans regia L.) trees were collected two consecutive years in harvest seasons in Yozgat province in Turkey. Considering two years results, promising five genotypes were determined as cultivar candidate. In the promising genotypes, nut weight ranged from 12.55 (Y11) to 15.08 g (Y15), kernel weight ranged from 5.23 (Y11) to 7.34 g (Y15) and kernel ratio varied between 41.67 (Y11) to 50.84% (Y1), respectively. Linoleic acid was the only polyunsaturated fatty acids and oleic, palmitoleic and gondoic acids determined as major monounsaturated acids ranged from 30.36 to 48.43%, 0.05 to 0.14% and 0.22 to 0.29%, respectively. Propylparaben was the major phenolic acid among the determined phenolic acids in fruits of all five promising genotypes and Y16 had the highest amount of propylparaben (128.08 mg per kg) in its kernel. Malic and tartaric acid were the major organic acids in walnut kernels ranged from 47.88 to 78.51 mg per 100 g and 30.27 to 49.60 mg per 100 g, respectively. L-ascorbic acid was the another organic acids in walnut kernels ranged from 10.71 to 19.71 mg per 100 g. Citric acid was non-determined in kernels of Y1, Y14 and Y15 but determined at kernels of Y11 and Y16 as 4.51 and 7.55 mg per 100 g, respectively. It was determined that the oxalic, malonic, succinic, maleic and fumaric acid contents varied between 8.39-12.08 mg per 100 g, 6.02-9.19 mg per 100 g, 2.86-5.32 mg per 100 g, 0.26-3.00 mg per 100 g and 0.26-0.58 mg per 100 g, respectively.
 
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 In press - Online First. Article has been peer reviewed, accepted for publication and published online without pagination. It will receive pagination when the issue will be ready for publishing as a complete number (Volume 47, Issue 4, 2019). The article is searchable and citable by Digital Object Identifier (DOI). DOI link will become active after the article will be included in the complete issue.
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Breeding of a Fragrant, Mini-multiflora <i>Phalaenopsis</i> Hybrid Orchid Cultivar, ‘Bravo Star’

Phalaenopsis ‘Bravo Star’, a new orchid cultivar, is both fragrant and has a multi-branch architecture with miniature, pink flowers. It was derived from a cross made by Gyeongnam Agricultural Research and Extension Service in 2016 of ‘Kung’s Red Coral’ (female) to ‘Tzu Chiang balm’ (male). To produce the hybrid, five F1 lines having strong fragrance and multiple flowering characters were selected from 2010 to 2012. A line then referred to as ‘08–VIO-16’ was finally selected after confirmation of stability and uniformity characteristics through evaluation and testing during 2013–2015. The selection ‘08-VIO-16’ was described as having a flat flower form and dark pink (RPN 57B) petal and sepal as well as a 29.1 cm flower stalk length. It had a flat and narrow obovate leaf form. The average leaf length and width were 18.2 and 6.5 cm, respectively. The average flower length and width were 5.7 and 5.2 cm, respectively. Although t his selection had a relatively low f lower number of 7.8 flowers per stalk, it was determined to be a good candidate cultivar for the potted plant market during evaluation and exhibition due to its multi-branching and inflorescence shape as well as its strong, sweet scent that is similar to cinnamon fragrance. Furthermore, it was found to be relatively easy to propagate in vitro and had a vigorous and fast growing habit. Following evaluation, this selection was registered as hybrid cultivar ‘Bravo Star’ on March 2017 (registration no. 6719) and protected by the seed industry act.

Construction, characteristics and high throughput molecular screening methodologies in some special breeding populations: a horticultural perspective

Advanced marker technologies are widely used for evaluation of genetic diversity in cultivated crops, wild ancestors, landraces or any special plant genotypes. Developing agricultural cultivars requires the following steps: (i) determining desired characteristics to be improved, (ii) screening genetic resources to help find a superior cultivar, (iii) intercrossing selected individuals, (iv) generating genetically hybrid populations and screening them for agro-morphological or molecular traits, (v) evaluating the superior cultivar candidates, (vi) testing field performance at different locations, and (vii) certifying. In the cultivar development process valuable genes can be identified by creating special biparental or multiparental populations and analysing their association using suitable markers in given populations. These special populations and advanced marker technologies give us a deeper knowledge about the inherited agronomic characteristics. Unaffected by the changing environmental conditions, these provide a higher understanding of genome dynamics in plants. The last decade witnessed new applications for advanced molecular techniques in the area of breeding,with low costs per sample. These, especially, include next-generation sequencing technologies like reduced representation genome sequencing (genotyping by sequencing, restriction site-associated DNA). These enabled researchers to develop new markers, such as simple sequence repeat and single- nucleotide polymorphism, for expanding the qualitative and quantitative information onpopulation dynamics. Thus, the knowledge acquired from novel technologies is a valuable asset for the breeding process and to better understand the population dynamics, their properties, and analysis methods.

INRA-ResDur: the French grapevine breeding programme for durable resistance to downy and powdery mildew

The current strategy to control grapevine downy and powdery mildews relies on chemical treatments. The most promising option to reduce the need for fungicides in viticulture is the use of resistant cultivars. This is why a new breeding programme called INRA-ResDur was launched in 2000 to create cultivars with durable resistance to downy and powdery mildews and with berry quality suitable for the production of high-quality wines. Various American and Asian sources of resistance have been known for a long time. During the last decade, intense genetic analyses of some of them have unveiled several resistance loci. However, resistance breakdown has already been observed for the locus Rpv3 (resistance to Plasmopara viticola carried by the resistant cultivar ‘Bianca’) and for the locus Run1 (resistance to Uncinula necator derived from Vitis rotundifolia). To ensure the durability of resistance, the INRA-ResDur programme used marker-assisted selection (MAS) to stack resistance factors derived from multiple sources. Thus, MAS allowed us to follow six resistance loci, Rpv1, Rpv3 and Rpv10 for downy mildew and, Run1, Ren3 and Ren3.2 for powdery mildew. This strategy led to the development of candidate cultivars bearing not only one but two or three genes to control each disease. Four new resistant cultivars, ‘Artaban’, ‘Floreal’, ‘Vidoc’ and ‘Voltis’, were registered in 2018, and a set of about 20 additional cultivars should be released by 2024. This project is a result of collaborations between INRA and IFV, the French Vine and Wine Institute, as well as other European breeding institutes.

Cultivar-Specific Performance and Qualitative Descriptors for Butterhead Salanova Lettuce Produced in Closed Soilless Cultivation as a Candidate Salad Crop for Human Life Support in Space.

Plant production is crucial for space journeys self-autonomy by contributing to the dietary intake necessary to sustain the physical and psychological well-being of space colonists, as well as for contributing to atmospheric revitalization, water purification and waste product recycling. Choosing the appropriate cultivar is equally important as the species selection, since cultivar influences the obtained fresh biomass, water use efficiency (WUE), growing cycle duration, qualitative features and postharvest performance. Two differently pigmented butterhead Lactuca sativa L. (red and green Salanova) cultivars were assessed in terms of morphometric, mineral, bioactive and physiological parameters. The experiment was carried out in a controlled environment growth chamber using a closed soilless system (nutrient film technique). Red Salanova registered a biomass of 130 g at harvest, which was 22.1% greater than green Salanova, and a water uptake of 1.42 L during the full growing period corresponding to WUE of 91.9 g L−1, which was 13.8% higher than that of green Salanova. At harvest, green Salanova had accumulated more P, K, Ca, Mg and 37.2% more nitrate than red Salanova, which however had higher relative water content, leaf total and osmotic potential and higher SPAD index. Red Salanova also exhibited at harvest around two-fold higher lipophilic antioxidant activity and total phenols, and around six-fold higher total ascorbic acid levels. These latter characteristics improved the antioxidant capacity of red Salanova enabling it to use light more efficiently and deliver better overall performance and yield than green Salanova. Moreover, the higher phenolics and total ascorbic acid contents of red Salanova constitute natural sources of antioxidants for enriching the human diet and render it an optimal candidate cultivar for near-term missions.

The complete chloroplast genome of a new candidate cultivar, Dae Ryun, of Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai (Oleaceae)

To understand genetic features of new candidate cultivar, Dae Ryun of A. distichum, chloroplast genome was sequenced. Its length is 156,019 bp and has four subregions: 86,783 bp of large single-copy (LSC) and 17,828 bp of small single-copy (SSC) regions are separated by 25,704 bp of inverted repeat (IR) regions including 133 genes (87 protein-coding genes, 8 rRNAs, and 37 tRNAs). Overall GC content is 35.8%. Intraspecies sequence variations among four A. distichum chloroplast genomes present various numbers. Phylogenetic trees show that A. distichum is clustered with 12 Forsythia species.

The complete chloroplast genome of a new candidate cultivar, Sang Jae, of Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai (Oleaceae): initial step of A. distichum intraspecies variations atlas

Chloroplast genome of Sang Jae, new candidate cultivar of Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai, has been sequenced to reveal infraspecific relationship of wildtypes and cultivars. Its length is 156,008 bp long (GC ratio is 37.8%) and has four subregions: 86,773 bp of large single copy (35.8%) and 17,827 bp of small single copy (31.9%) regions are separated by 25,704 bp of inverted repeat (43.2%) regions including 133 genes (87 protein-coding genes, eight rRNAs, and 37 tRNAs). Phylogenetic trees show that A. distichum is clustered with twelve Forsythia species and intraspecies variations level is similar to Olea europaea.

Some Oil Characteristics of Fruit of Le002 And Mt087 Olive Cultivar Candidates

Abstract PDF Full-Text e-Pub Heparin is a natural anticoagulant from animal organs with excellent anticoagulant activity, and it is of high price as the raw material for the preparation of heparin originates from the special organs of animals. There is also the problem of biological rejection. As Pentosan sulfate has a similar chemical structure to heparin and is prepared from renewable plant-derived pentosan, so the preparation and biological activity evaluation of pentosan sulfate has become a new research hotspot in the field. This paper mainly reviews the structure, physical and chemical properties, preparation methods and the analysis and evaluation of various biological activities of pentosan sulfate. The future development of pentosan sulfate is to find plant-based pentosans with similar structure to hep.....

Kiwifruit (Actinidiaspp.) breeding studies and new cultivar candidates in Turkey

Kiwifruit was introduced into Turkey in the late 1980s. The production of kiwifruit is increasing every year; it has now passed 40,000 t. It is likely that production will increase further in the near future because of the large number of newly established kiwifruit orchards. However, almost all of the kiwifruit cultivated in Turkey is of ‘Hayward’ cultivar. For this reason, kiwifruit breeding studies in Turkey with the search for alternative cultivars were first initiated in Ataturk Horticultural Central Research Institute in 2008. This project is still only one study conducted on kiwifruit breeding in the country. The breeding study started with seedlings obtained from cultivars ‘Hort16A’, ‘Jintao’, ‘Hayward’ and ‘Topstar’ and genotype 17684. In phenological observations made within the population, until 2016, 244 female and 299 male genotypes were determined. HO-8, B-13, B-19, B-20, B-25, B-36, J-284 and TH-9 genotypes were selected as cultivar candidates among female genotypes. All cultivar candidates except TH-9 are earlier than ‘Hayward’ and have yellow fruit flesh. Also cultivar candidate J-284 is attractive, with red colour around the core. Cultivar candidates B-20, B-13 and TH-9 were found to be superior to average fruit weight. The registration process has started for cultivar candidate B-19 (‘Ilkaltin’). Also, sensory analyses have been done for 3 years with the prominent cultivar

Evaluation of the descriptive characteristics of chestnut

The chestnut (Castanea spp.) tree is extremely valuable for it ecological role in the environment as well as its role in the production of sweet, edible nuts, decay resistant timber, and the production of chemical compounds such as tannins. Although native to the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere, it has been planted successfully throughout the southern hemisphere including Australia, New Zealand and Chile. Currently, the genus Castanea is represented by 13 species ranging in size from shrubs to large trees. Five species of Castanea are native to East Asia, seven species are native to North America and one species is native to Europe. Many chestnut cultivars have been selected or bred for various purposes such as improving nut or timber quality, increasing yield, enhancing resistance to diseases or pests and winter hardiness. For the purpose of registering new cultivars, distinctness, uniformity and stability (DUS) of the cultivars need to be described and verified. For this aim, morphological characteristics of the cultivar candidates should be determined. There are many morphological traits used for identifying cultivar candidates. However, reliable characteristics need to be selected and scored. Generally, the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) criteria have been used for this purpose, but we believe the UPOV criteria need to be updated. In this review, various descriptive morphological chestnut parameters are discussed to promote the list of current and new criteria.

Reproduction of Meloidogyne chitwoodi Golden et al., 1980 (Tylenchida: Meloidogynidae) on different potato cultivars and its effect on plant growth

The Columbia root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne chitwoodi Golden et al., 1980 (Tylenchida: Meloidogynidae), is one of the most damaging nematode parasites of potato. It can cause economic damage in many cultivated plants and infest weeds. In this study, the reproduction of M. chitwoodi was assessed in 19 potato cultivars and one candidate cultivar under climate chamber conditions, and the effects of M. chitwoodi on plant growth were assessed in a greenhouse in 2014. Meloidogyne chitwoodi reproduced well on the potato cultivars tested based on numbers of egg and egg mass, reproduction factor and egg mass index. There were approximately 2-fold differences between some cultivars according to minimum and maximum values of the number of egg masses (205 in Challenger and 423 in Adora) and reproduction factor (28.2 in Marabel and 58.6 in Adora). Some plant growth parameters were significantly different between nematode inoculated and uninoculated plants for each cultivar according to t-test. Additionally, significant percentage decreases for some plant growth parameters were recorded, including plant height (7.6-13.4%), fresh (14.6-24.5%) and dry (14.2-26.7%) weights of shoots, fresh (15.0-25.1%) and dry (16.2-26.2%) root. It was found that all potato cultivars tested were susceptible to M. chitwoodi , and the degree of adverse effect on their growth varied between cultivar.

Fruit characteristics of six candidate olive cultivars

AbstractSome important physical, chemical and sensory characteristics of raw and processed olives (processed by the same scratched table olive process) were investigated. In the study, six candidate cultivars obtained by cross-breeding and one standard cultivar (‘Domat’) grown together in an olive breeding and observation plot in the Ataturk Central Horticultural Research Institute in Turkey were investigated. Fruit weight and flesh-to-seed ratio of fresh raw olives ranged from 5.18 to 7.65 g and 4.8 to 6.3, respectively. LT011 had the highest fruit weight, whereas LT001 and LE001 had the highest flesh-to-seed ratio. Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the produced table olives were estimated between 102 and 141 mg gallic acid equivalents per 100 g−1fresh weight, and 13.4 and 14.9 µmol Trolox 100 g−1, respectively. Fruits of LT001 had higher appearance, taste, bitterness and general appreciation scores than the others. LT001 showed a lesser loss of oleuropein absorbance and antioxidant activity than the others during processing. The results of this study revealed that LE001, LT001 and LT011 had superior characteristics for the production of scratched green table olives.

Assessing the difference of tolerance and phytoremediation potential in mercury contaminated soil of a non-food energy crop, Helianthus tuberosus L. (Jerusalem artichoke).

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of mercury stress on growth, photosynthesis and mercury accumulation in different cultivars of a non-food energy crop, Jerusalem artichoke, and to screen appropriate cultivars for their efficacy in the phytoremediation of mercury (Hg2+) contaminated soil. Cultivars LZJ033 (high above-ground biomass and nutrient content, and strongly sexual reproduction) and LZJ119 (a long period of vegetative growth) exhibited more tolerance to mercury stress than LZJ047 (the highest tuber yield and total sugar content). The lines LZJ119 and LZJ047 showed delays in emergence time of about four weeks, and LZJ047 exhibited the highest mortality rate, 85.19%, under treatment with 10 mg kg-1 mercury. The MDA (malondialdehyde) content increased whereas and the Pn (net photosynthetic rate), Fv∕Fm (the maximum quantum yield of PSII photochemistry) and chlorophyll content decreased in response to mercury stress. The stem diameter, stem biomass and photosynthetic rate of Jerusalem artichoke showed some modest increases in response to mercury stress and exhibited hormesis at least 1 mg kg-1 mercury treatment. Overall, LZJ119 produced more biomass under mercury stress, whereas LZJ033 exhibited a greater capacity for mercury bioaccumulation. Accordingly, LZJ119 may be a good candidate cultivar for use in cases of moderate—low mercury contamination, whereas LZJ033 may be a better candidate under conditions of high mercury contamination. When Jerusalem artichoke was cultivated in mercury contaminated soil, it not only removed the mercury from soil but also produced large amounts of tubers and shoots which could be used as feedstock for the production of bioethanol.

Prospects for increasing yield in macadamia using component traits and genomics

Selection of candidate cultivars in macadamia requires extensive phenotypic measurements over many years and trials. In particular, yield traits such as nut-in-shell yield and kernel yield are economically vital characteristics and therefore guide the selection process for new cultivars. However, these traits can only be measured in mature trees, resulting in long generation intervals and slow rates of genetic gain. In addition, these traits are expensive to measure. Strategies to reduce the generation interval and increase the intensity of selection include using yield component traits, identification of markers associated with component traits, and genomic selection for yield. Yield component traits that contribute to resource availability for fruit formation include floral and nut characteristics. In this review, these traits will be investigated to estimate their relative importance in macadamia breeding and their heritability and correlations with yield. Furthermore, the usefulness of genome-wide association studies regarding yield component traits will be reviewed. Genetic-based breeding techniques could exploit this information to increase yield gains per breeding cycle and estimate the quantitative nature of yield traits. Genomic selection uses genome-wide molecular markers to predict the phenotype of individuals at an early age before maturity, thereby reducing the cycle time and increasing gain per unit time in plant breeding programmes. This review evaluates the potential for measurement of yield component traits, genome-wide association studies, and genomic selection to be employed in the Australian macadamia breeding programme to accelerate gains for nut yield.

Selection of a Suitable Pollinizer for ‘Summer Fantasia’ Plum

Being self-incompatible, most Asian plums should be planted with a compatible pollinizer to produce fruits. Therefore, the selection of an adequate pollinizer is essential when new plum cultivars are released. To select a suitable pollinizer for ‘Summer Fantasia’ plum, the S genotype, cross-compatibility, pollen viability, and flowering time of five candidate cultivars were evaluated. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, the S genotype of ‘Summer Fantasia’ was determined as SaSc, which was expected to be compatible with other S genotypes. To test cross-compatibility, the trees were covered with caging net to prevent unintended pollination, and pistils were hand pollinated without emasculation. Fruit set percentage was calculated 10 weeks after pollination. The fruit set percentage resulting from the cross between ‘Summer Fantasia’ and ‘Taiyo’ (SbSc) was 13.8%, whereas that resulting from other combinations was less than 5.0%. Pollen germination percentage was investigated to monitor pollen viability; it varied yearly among cultivars, although ‘Formosa’ (10.6%) and ‘Taiyo’ (13.8%) showed the highest pollen germination percentages among the cultivars. When averaged over three years and two locations, ‘Summer Fantasia’ bloomed 2–3 days after ‘Akihime’, ‘Formosa’, ‘Oishiwase’, and ‘Purple Queen’. Blooming period of ‘Summer Fantasia’ and ‘Taiyo’ overlapped almost entirely. Overall, the results indicated that ‘Taiyo’ was the most suitable pollinizer for ‘Summer Fantasia’.

Spatial Variability Effects on Precision and Power of Forage Yield Estimation

Spatial analyses of yield trials allow adjustment of cultivar means for spatial variation, improving the statistical precision of yield estimation. While the relative efficiency of spatial analysis has been frequently reported in several yield trials, its application to long‐term Lolium spp. forage yield trials has not been characterized. The objective of this study was to evaluate the trend analysis, nearest‐neighbor analysis (NNA), and correlated error (CE) models for their ability to account for spatial variability in 138 Lolium spp. forage yield trials. This case study was performed on data from five locations and 11 yr (2001–2011) using randomized complete block design (RCBD) trials conducted by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) in Ireland. The relative efficiencies of trend, NNA, and CE models compared with RCBD models were 129, 143, and 193% for analysis by trial × year, and 121, 125, and 171% for analysis by trial, respectively. When the top one, two, three, four, or five cultivar(s) were compared between CE and RCBD models, the agreement between two models to find common cultivars varied from 66% for the top cultivar to 28% for the top five cultivars. Using CE models, four replicates were sufficient to detect mean yield differences between cultivars of 7% of the mean and 80% power. Spatial analysis should be added to the routine DAFM testing programs, not only to improve the precision of yield estimates, but also to reduce the risk of missing potential candidate cultivars, given the existence of spatial variation.

Candidate halophytic grasses for addressing land degradation: Shoot responses of Sporobolus airoides and Paspalum vaginatum to weekly increasing NaCl concentration

ABSTRACTIn many arid and semiarid regions worldwide, high levels of soil salinity is a key driver of land degradation, as well as a key impediment to re-establishing plant cover. Combating land degradation and erosion associated with soil salinity requires experimental determination of plant species that can grow in soils with high levels of salinity and can be used to re-establish plant cover. Herein, we evaluated the responses of untested candidate cultivars of two halophytic grass species to high soil salinity: alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides Torr.) and seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum Swartz). We evaluated the growth responses of both species in a greenhouse under control (no-salt) and various levels of NaCl salinity (EC 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, and 48 dSm−1) using Hoagland solution in a hydroponics system in a randomized complete block design trial. At all salinity levels, sacaton grass had a greater shoot height, shorter root length, lower shoot fresh and dry weights, and poorer color and general quality compared to seashore paspalum. The shoot fresh and dry weights of both grasses were greatest at the low to medium levels of salinity, with the greatest response observed at EC 16 dSm−1. At the highest level, salinity significantly reduced shoot fresh and dry weights of both grasses. Because growth of both halophytic species exhibited high tolerance to salinity stress and were stimulated under low to medium levels of salinity, both species could be considered suitable candidates for re-establishing plant cover in drylands to combat desertification and land degradation associated with high levels of soil salinity.