Evaluation of Salt Tolerance in Three Varieties of Corn

This study included two experiments conducted in 2000-2001 for surveying the effects of saline water irrigation on yield and yield components in corn varieties. Experiments were conducted in a silty-clay soil in Ahwaz Agricultural Research Center. First experiment was conducted as a split plots and randomized complete blocks design in three replications. Main plots included salinity levels 2, 4, 6 and 8dS/m and subplots included three single cross hybrids of corn 704, 711 and 647. In the other experiment the effects of saline water 8dS/m at different growth stages including the stage of planting to plant establishment. (G1), flowering and pollination (G2) and grain filling (G3), were evaluated. The results of the first expriment showed that there was very significant difference among water salinity levels for yield, thousand kernel weight, percentage of corn fertility and percentage of plants containing corn. The highest and lowest grain yield were obtained for salinity levels 2 and 8dS/m treatments respectively. Differences among varieties and interaction of treatments were significant for grain yield, and highest grain yeild was obtained for 704 and 711 varieties on saline water 2dS/m. The results of the other expriment showed that highest and lowest tolerance to irrigation with saline water on corn were G3 and G1 growth stages respectively. Consequently, hybrids 704 and 711 were more sensitive than the 647, but the obtained yield, suggests that 704 and 711 hybrids can be cultivated under these conditions.