Selection for resistance to salinity in local and foreign wheat genotypes of National Plant Gene-Bank of Iran

Wheat landraces are considered as valuable sources of tolerance specially for severe environmental stresses. Exploiting local genetic resources has become doubly important regarding narrow genetic base due to plant breeding. Twenty seven local and foreign genotypes selected from 4096 populations of wheat collection of National Plant Gene-Bank of Iran along with three control varieties، Mahooti، Kavir and Roshan، were evaluated in three separate experiments، one normal and two saline (Ardekan and Meybod) conditions. STI and GMP were identified as the most favorable indices to select salt tolerant cultivars based on correlations with grain yield in stress and non-stress conditions. Two genotypes of 4383، from Isfehan، and 7122، from Argentina، were superior based on stress tolerance indices، and yield in both stress environments. Despite the lowest amount of yield of the genotype 4419 in non-stress condition، it possessed the lowest amount of yield loss due to salt stress، and the lowest amount of TOL and SSI which could be an indication for a specialized mechanism for salt tolerance. Based on Frenandez classification، genotypes of 3888، 4383، 7097، 7122، 7258 and Mahooti were placed in group A، genotypes of 142 and 4407 were placed in group B، Kavir was placed in group C and genotypes of 1143، 3700 and 4355 were placed in group D commonly in both Ardekan and Meibod experiments. Cluster analysis based on stress tolerance indices could discriminate the genotypes consistent with Fernandez classification.