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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
Global warming and soil salinity drastically reduced the productivity of cereals including wheat which is the most important food crop next to rice. A laboratory experiment was conducted with three replications to screen forty six winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes for individual salinity and high temperature stress and their combined effect at germination and early seedling growth stage. The seeds were subjected to two levels of salinity stress i.e. 4 and 8 dSm-1 with salt combination of NaCl:CaCl2:Na2SO4 in a ratio of 7:2:1. The high temperature treatment was given by transferring the seeding in the incubator at temperature 37± 2°C. The physiological parameters i.e. germination percentage, root length, shoot length, seedling length, root/shoot length ratio, vigour index I and SPAD value were measured in 10 days old seedling. The result indicated that germination percentage; root/shoot length ratio, root/shoot fresh weight Ratio, root/shoot dry weight Ratio and SPAD unit value were decreased most severely under combined second salinity level and high temperature stress when compared to ambient condition. However, root/shoot length ratio sowed an irregular pattern i.e. at individual and combined lower salinity level and high temperature stress more wheat genotypes showed increase in root/shoot length ratio, while rest showed decrease in the same. However, under individual and combined higher salinity level and high temperature stress more genotype showed reduction in the same parameter. Based on the physiological parameters, the genotype KRL-1-4, KRL-19 and HD-2733 was found to be most tolerant and HI-1563, HD 2329 and HT-8 were the most susceptible to salinity at germination stage and early seedling stage. In conclusion, there is genetic variability among winter wheat genotypes that can be used in breeding programs to improve winter wheat yield under combined high temperature and salinity stress conditions.