Evaluation of salinity tolerance in sugar beet genotypes

In order to evaluate salinity tolerance in 20 sugar bee genotypes, an experiment was conducted in two fields with salinity (EC= 12 ds/m, pH= 7.6) and non-salinity stress, in the form of RCBD at Miandoab Agricultural Research Station. Different morphological and physiological traits such as root yield, sugar percentage, white sugar percentage, Molasses, N, Na, K, syrup purity and green cover percentage were recorded in salinity and non-salinity conditions. Germination percentage, seed vigor and establishment percentage were measured separately in a greenhouse experiment in karaj, using a factorial experiment based on CRD with two factors A (20 genotypes and B(two levels of salinity of 16 and distilled water). Arcsin transformation was used to analyze the data obtained from the greenhouse experiment. Results of the experiments showed a high variability among the genotypes and origins. Salinity stress caused 77% and 36% decrease in root yield and white sugar yield, respectively. The Na/K ratio was identified as a suitable criterion for selection of the tolerant salinity genotypes in field condition. The index of tolerance to stress was calculated for all of the genotypes and showed that the genotypes C3.3 (Tetraploid Multigerm) with index of 0.3 and 25.48 ton/ha yield had a good tolerance under field salinity conditions.In the greenhouse condition, genotypes C3.3 (Tetraploid Multigerm), 19669-p5 had a good tolerance under farm salinity conditions.