Effect of salinity stress on chlorophyll content, proline, water soluble carbohydrate, germination, growth and dry weight of three seedling barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars

Salinity is a serious environmental constraint to crop production in many parts of the world and the development of crops with improved salt tolerance is proposed as part of solution to this problem. This research was performed out in order to study the effects of different salinity levels on germination, growth, dry weight, proline, water soluble carbohydrate and chlorophyll content of three barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars named Jonoob (INC-54), Reyhan (INC-45) & Nosrat (INC -47).The experiment was carried out using factorial based on completely randomized design with three replications. Seven old seedlings after germination were transferred to Hoagland nutrient solution under the effect of salinity levels (0, 50, 150 and 250 mM NaCl)in during seven days. Data variance analysis showed that seed germination of three barley cultivars was significantly (P Reyhan>Nosrat. The results showed that, increasing in salinity decreased all growth parameters. Salinity stress decreased shoot and root length, root dry weight and chlorophyll contents in every three cultivars. But decreasing of chlorophyll was less in Nosrat compared to two other items. Proline content and soluble carbohydrate were increased in all of the three cultivars with enhance of NaCl concentration. By increasing of salinity stress accumulation of proline and soluble sugar content in leaves of Nosrat cultivar was more than other cultivars. As saltiness increases resistance natural responses in this plant gets better considering less decrease in chlorophyll amount and strategy of more production about praline and sugar solution compared to two other items.