THE EFFECT OF SALINITY ON LIBYAN SOFT WHEAT TRITICUM AESTIVUM L AT GERMINATION STAGE

Salinity is the major abiotic stress that reduces plant growth and productivity worldwide. The objectives of this study were to quantify the effects of salinity on seedling characters of soft wheat Triticum aestivum L genotypes and to define if responses varied among wheat genotypes. For that, 12 genotypes of wheat were evaluated for the salinity tolerance in artificially induced with NaCl at their germination and early seedling stage. Seeds were subjected to four levels of salinity (0, 50, 100 and 150 mM NaCl) and raised for eight days under optimum conditions to calculate the final germination percentage, speed of germination, mean daily germination, shoot and root length, and seedling fresh and dry weight. The response of genotypes were divers among the studied traits. At higher concentration of NaCl (100 and 150mM), speed of germination and mean daily germination were delayed and final germination percentage was decreased. At higher salinity level, significant decrease in shoots and roots length, seedling dry weight and seedling vigor. Additionally, the study showed considerable variation in salinity tolerance among wheat genotypes for studied traits. The study concluded that there is a genetic variability among genotypes and that genotypes varied in their response to salinity stress and that genotypes Sabha, Salambo, Makkawi and Bushi were the most tolerant genotypes.