Salinity tolerance during germination in two arid-land varieties of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Soil and water salinity can constrain agricultural production through impairment of germination and growth of early seedlings. Effects of salinity were investigated in two salt-tolerant wheat varieties, Cieta Serros and Maxipak, at germination and early seedling stages. Seeds were treated during germination with either distilled water or one of six concentrations of either NaCl or KCl. Both salts reduced final germination percentage, germination rate and increased the production of abnormal seedlings (i.e., where radicle and/or plumule structures were deformed, missing or incomplete). Low concentrations of either salt (0.05, 0.1 M) had no significant effect on final germination percentage and only slight effects on germination rate. High concentrations (0.2-0.4 M) had significant effects on all three parameters. No germination occurred during a "germination recovery" control (where ungerminated seeds were transferred to distilled water for recovery for 10 days). This suggests effects of NaCl and KCl may be due to ionic toxicity, rather than osmotic inhibition.