Screening of tomato genotypes at various levels of salinity

Abstract

The productivity of crop is severely affected by salinity which is more harmful to seed germination, plant growth and development. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of salinity on germination, seedling characters and to find out the genetic salt tolerance or resistance cultivars during germination and seedling growth. In this study, germination percentage, seedling length, root length, shoot length, vigour index, salt tolerant index were assayed at three different salinity levels viz., 25mM NaCl, 50mM NaCl and 100mM NaCl and compared with control (0mM NaCl). The germination percentage and seedling growth were significantly reduced under high saline condition. The seedling length, root length, shoot length were also significantly reduced under saline stress situation. Among the 26 genotypes, Solanum torvum, EC-631349, BSBS12, EC-615065, EC-620554, EC-620429 and IC-631354 were found highly tolerant to saline condition which could be used as rootstock for produce saline tolerant grafting as well as developing saline tolerant/resistant hybrids.