Evaluation of Salinity Stress Tolerance of Cultivated Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Genotypes

To identify salinity tolerant cultivated genotypes, 50 barley genotypes originated from Iran were evaluated in a field experiment during 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 cropping seasons in Yazd; Optimum experiment at Yazd central field station, and stress experiment in Ardakan field station, Iran. Six improved barley cultivars; Mehr and Khatam (Salinity tolerant), Nosrat, Nimrooz, Yousef and Gohran were also included in the experiments. The experiments were carried out using 8×7 rectangular lattice design with three replications. Phenological traits, grain yield and 1000-kernel weight were measured in all genotypes under optimum and salinity stress conditions. The electrical conductivity of soil and irrigation water in optimum condition was 3.4 and 3.6 dS m-1, and in the salinity condition, it was 14 and 10 dS m-1, respectively. The stress intensity index (SI) was 0.21 and 0.32 in 2019-20 and 2020-21 cropping seasons, repectively, which indicated higher stress intensity in the second year in the stress experiment. The mean grain yield under optimum and salt stress conditions in 2019-20 was 215 and 174 g m-2, respectively. In 2020-21 cropping season, mean grain yiled under optimum stress conditions were 271.9 and 184 g m-2, respectively. Combined analysis of traits showed that the of year × salinity stress × genotype interaction effect was significant on evaluated traits. Based on the results of principle component analysis and stress indices in 2019-20 cropping season, genotypes no. 50 (TN5008), 33 (TN4247) and 38 (TN4357) were superior genotypes. While in 2020-21 cropping season genotypes no. 24 (TN3474) and 27 (TN3643) together with salinity tolerant barley cultivars; Khatam and Mehr had higher grain yield. The collecting site of these two genotypes is Kerman province and Fars province, respectively. Based on the results of this research, tolerant cultivated barley genotypes were identified for further studies.