SELECTION OF TOLERANT WHEAT VARIETIES DURING THE GERMINATION PHASE

In Morocco, wheat is an indispensable and important crop for the population. Its production in areas affected by salinity is a major problem. The salinity-tolerant variety factor is one of the ways to ensure good productivity. Germination is considered a critical step in the plant's development cycle. Consequently, this study aimed to screen the tolerance to salinity of five varieties of wheat at the germination stage. The experiment was carried out under laboratory conditions, using five concentrations of NaCl 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12g/L. Several parameters were used: the germination rate, the corrected germination, the reduction percentage in germination, the final percentage of germination, the mean daily germination, the germination index, the vigor index of germination, the germination rate index, the velocity coefficient, the average time of germination, the length of coleoptiles and roots. Intraspecific variability of wheat toward salinity was relatively large. The daily germination rate, the final germination, the reduction percentage in germination, the germination rate index, and the mean daily germination proved to be the most appropriate criteria to study the salinity effect on seed germination. Also, an equal hierarchy of sensitivity/tolerance levels during the subsequent development of the coleoptiles and the roots has been adversely affected by increasing salinity. All these parameters describing the germination wheat seeds showed that Rajae variety performs better (relatively tolerant) while; Radia and Kanz varieties are the most affected by salt stress. The results showed that the salt reduces germination by delaying its speed except for Rajae and Amal.