The effects of Salinity on Some of the Physiological Characteristics and Growth of two Barley Cultivars

In order to Study the physiological responses of two barley cultivars to salinity stress, a4-replicated CRD greenhouse experiment was conducted at the college of agriculture, The Islamic Azad university of Fasa, 2006. The treatments consisted of two barley cultivars: Sarvestan and Reyhan and five salinity levels: o, 85, 171, 256 and 342 mM. NaCl. Seed culturing was done in greenhouse and plants irrigation with the help of Hoagland nutrition solution. Total dry weight, stem and root length, total leaf chlorophyll, proline in shoots and Na+, K+ content in shoots were measured at the final leaf growth stage. Results showed that the total chlorophyll and dry weight decreased with increasing salinity levels. The reductions were lower in Sarvestan than Reyhan. A lower Na+ and higher K+ in Sarvestan compared to Reyhan were observed under high level of salinity. Proline content in shoots increased with increasing salinity levels. The proline content were higher in Sarvestan than Reyhan. Results showed that the effects of salinity stress on some of the physiological characteristics were lower in Sarvestan compared to Reyhan. Since a higher tolerance to salinity in Sarvestan was apparently associated with a lower concentration of Na+ and a higher K+ of shoots, this trait could probably be used for yield improvement of barley cultivars under saline conditions.