Abstract:
The problem of increasing salinity implicates the selection and development of salt tolerant crop varieties in Pakistan. This study reports relative salt tolerance of fourteen cotton varieties in Peiri dishes, solution culture, ion uptake behaviour and field performance in rising salinity level. Cotton variety NIAB-999 showed maximum seed germination even on EC = 25 dSm-l i.e. 60% followed by CIM-707 which showed 58 percent seed germination. The results of solution culture indicated that the cotton variety NIAB-999 had highest relative growth rate i.e. 0.282 gg-1 day-1 followed by CIM-707 which had 0.239 RGR. The lowest RGR was found in Strain PIM-80 (0.049) If Na* is lower and K* is high in shoot the variety is called salt tolerant. If Na*--K* ratio is narrow then the variety is tolerant and if the Na*, K* ratio is higher then it is called sensitive. The mean performance for salinity rating, Na*, K* and Na*, K* absorption ratio of cotton in shoot indicated that strain NIAB-999 and CIM-707 posses tolerance. CIM-499 was sensitive in which Na*/K* ratio was 0.159, 0.159 and 0.350 respectively. In field NIAB-999 out yielded all other cultivars tested and gave seed cotton yield 2930 kg/ha with 43.23 percent with 43.23 percent boll bearing.
Page(s):
181-186
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: International Journal of Biology and Biotechnology, Volume: 1, Issue: 2, Year: 2004