J. Agronomy & Crop Science, 156, 123—127 (1986)© 1986 Paul Parey Scientific Publishers, Berlin and HamburgISSN 0044-2151

Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi~284003, India

Salt Tolerance of Some Oats {Avena sativa L.) Varietiesat Germination and Seedling Stage

O. p. S. VERMA and R. B. R. YADAVA

Authors' address: O. P. S. VERMA and Dr. R. B. R. YADAVA, Division of Plant Improvement,Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi, Pin-284003, India

With 3 tables

Received May 21, 1985; accepted July 1, 1985

Abstract

Soil salinity is the serious problem of the arid and semi-arid tracts of the world. It causes greatlosses to agriculture by lowering the yields of various crops. However, such soil may be utilizedeither after reclaimation or by growing tolerant plant species. The degree of salt tolerance variesnot only with plant species but the different varieties of the same species show variation in salttolerance. Germination and seedling stages have a bearing on plant development at later stages ofgrowth and ultimately crop yield. Therefore, in the present investigation, twelve varieties ofoats viz., Colabagh, Kent,JHO-801,JHO-802,JHO-810,JHO-815,JHO-816, S-3021, S-2688,Chauripatti, UPO-201 and Sierra were tested for their relative salt tolerance to increasing levelsof salinity in those combination of salts which nearly exist in the natural salt affected soils. Seedswere sown in petri dishes and were exposed to five salinity (40, 80, 120, 160 and 200 me/L. ofsalts) levels. The germination percentage, root and shoot length and dry weight of the seedlingsdecreased with increase in salinity. In general, varieties JHO-815, JHO-802, JHO-816 andUPO-201 were found to be more tolerant at germination and seedling stages.

Introduction

Seed germination and early seedling growth phases are considered critical for raising asuccessful crop as they indirectly determine the crop stand density and consequently theyield of resultant crop (GELMOND 1978). Generally plants are most sensitive to salinityduring germination or early seedling growth (CARTER 1975) due to increase in the osmoticpressure of the soil solution (BERNSTEIN 1961) or toxicity to the embryo on the seedling(RUDOLFS 1925, MEHTAand DESAI 1958). Oats {Avena sativa L.) is an important cereal cropgrown all over the world for fodder as well as grain. Information on salt tolerancebehaviour of oats is inadequate. Therefore, it was thought of worthwhile to study thedegree of salt tolerance of oats varieties at the germination and seedling stage.

Materials and Methods

Twelve varieties of oats {Colabagh, Kent, JHO-801, JHO-802, JHO-810, JHO-815, JHO-816, S-3021, S-2688, Chauripatti, UPO-201 and Sierra) were selected for this study. The salt

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124 VERMA and YADAVA

solutions having the concentrations of 0, 40, 80, 120, 160 and 200 m.e./l were prepared indistilled water by dissolving NaCl, CaCl2 and Na2SO4 in the ratio of 7 : 2 : 1. Distilled waterwas used as control. The experiment was conducted in laboratory at room temperature in petridishes. Twenty healthy seeds of each variety were sown in each petri dish (11 cm) lined withfilter paper and having 4 ml solution of each salt concentration along with control in threereplicates. The germination percentage was recorded after every 24 hours till the 10th day of thesowing. Data on root and shoot length and dry weight of seedlings from each replicate wererecorded on the last day of germination count. Salt tolerance of each variety was worked out onthe basis of critical diff^erence.

Results and Discussion

The germination percentage decreased from 86.94 to 72.91 per cent with increasingsalinity levels upto 200 m.e./l (Table 1). However salt concentration of 40 m.e./l did notaffect the germination percentage adversely over control treatment. Salinity levels of 80 and120 m.e./l were statically at par between themselves, but caused significant reduction ingermination as compared to low salinity level. Increase in the salinity to 180 and 200 m.e./llowered the germination percentage significantly. The germination percentage above 90per cent was recorded in vzrieties JHO-816, UPO-201, Colahagh ^nd JHO-815 and thelowest being with variety S-2688. Though interaction between variety and salinity levelwas found to be non-significant but variety JHO-816 continued to record highestgermination percentage at all the levels of salinity. Similar results were reported earlier fordifferent crops (BERNSTEIN and HAYWARD 1968, WAHAB et al. 1967, BHUMBLA and SINGH

1965, ABICHANDANI and BHATT 1965, MALIWAL and PALIWAL 1967, SARIN and NARAYANAN

1968).In general there was significant reduction in root and shoot length with each increment

of salinity levels from 0 to 200 m.e./l, with the result that seedlings recorded a root andshoot length of only 4.69 and 6.59 cm respectively at highest level of salinity (Table 2).Variety JHO-802 produced significantly longer root and shoot as compared to otherstrains. However, varieties JHO-816 and JHO-815 also resulted in longer roots and

Table 1 Percentage of germination of the oats varieties at different levels of salinity

Varieties

ColabaghKent

J HO-801JHO-802JHO-810JHO-815JHO-816

S-3021

S-2688Chouripotti

UPO - 201

Sierra

Mean

100.00

81 66

95,0088,33

93 3398,33

10000

900048,338166

)00 00

71,66

8694

0

(90.00)(65 00)(79.55)

(70,50)(75.24)(8569)

(90 00)

(74 08)(4404)

(65,00)(90.00)(57.86)

40

100,00

76,66

933385.00

88 3398 33

10000

866646,668166

100,0071.66

8569

(90,00)(61,14)

(78,09)

(67 40)(70.11)(85 69)

(90,00)

(68,66)

(40.08)(64,69)

(90.00)

(57.86)

Salt concentration

80

95,00

66,66

88,3383.338166

98 33100.00

85.00450076,3396,66

68,33

82,21

(7955)(5483)

(7069)(6614)(6469)(8569)

(90 00)

(67 40)(42 12)(62,40)

(81,38)(55 82)

1

95.0065.00

8500

83.3381,6695.00

9666

816643.3373.3395,006666

80.13

( m e . / I )

20

(79,55)

(53.86)

(67,40)

(6595)(64.69)(79.55)

(8138)

(64.69)(41,16)(59,00)

(78,08)(54,08)

160

91,6665,0083.33

80.0080.008833

96,66

76,6636 6666,66

95.00

63,33

76,94

(73 40)(53,81)

(65.61)

(60,21)(63.54)(70.11)

(83.85)

(6114)(37 25)(54,75)(79,55)

(50,82)

200

86,3356.66

81,6675,00750088.33

9666

70,0031,6661,669333

5666

72,91

(70,11 )(48.86)

(64,69)(60,07)(60.07)(70.50)

(8385)

(56 99)(34.18)(51,75)(78,09)(48.80)

Mean

949968,6087 77

824983,3394.44

98,33

8166419473.8896.66

66,38

C D . at 5% levelVariety 3.42Salinity 2.41Variety X Salinity —• Figures in parenthesis are angular transformed values of germination percentage.

Salt Tolerance of Some Oats Varieties at Germination and Seedling Stage 125

shoots. Different oat varieties interacted significantly with salinity levels with regard tolength of root and shoot. A critical perusal of data reveal that the adverse effect of saltconcentrations became more pronounced beyond salinity level of 120 m.e./l. Therefore, itappears that the soluble salts at higher salinity levels have become sufficient to suppressgrowth as suggested by NIEMAN(1962).

Table 2 Average root and shoot length (an) of the seedlings of oats varieties at different levelsof salinity

Varieties

Colabogh

Kent

JHO-801

JHO - 802

JHO-810JHO-815

JHO-816

S-3021

S-2688Chauripatti

UPO - 201

Sierra

Mean

VarietySalinityVariety X

0

Root

13.86

11 33

16.20

15.36

12.1616.26

13.86

7.60

876

15.15

1386

15.60

13.33

Salinity

Shoot

14.10

12.03

1266

17.50

12.9013.76

16.53

13.06

8.43

16.03

1306

15.40

1378

40

Root

14.00

9 23

13.70

16.10

14.301290

12.33

8.43

573

11.86

10 23

9.86

11.55

Shoot

13 20

10.53

13 16

16.76

12.3014.80

1653

12.50

7.36

13 66

12.73

11.46

1291

CD. :Root0.640.461.60

Root

12.66

8.63

11 23

1293

9.3010.53

1176

8.10

426

1023

9.23

700

9.65

it 5°/

Salt concentration (m

80

Shoot

11.16

9.33

11 16

15.80

10.0014.23

1593

1123

5.06

12.63

11.73

n.30

1163

'o levelShoot0.390.270.96

Root

9.60

5.83

803

11.26

8.469.56

11.03

5.46

2.86

8.26

7.30

5.40

7.75

120

Shoot

670

6.73

663

15.80

6.7312.96

1573

6.80

470

11.26

10.20

9.03

9.43

e./l

Root

5.96

2.96

3.93

9.90

476

7.83

8.10

276

2.43

6.90

7.03

353

5.50

)

160

Shoot

3.40

323

343

14.03

4.1310.50

12.03

4.90

2.96

1056

9.36

8.90

7.28

Root

4.70

2.80

3 20

7.86

3.667.03

7.53

2.53

2.03

633573

2.93

4.69

200

Shoot

216

2.70

3.10

13.43

3.40

10.30

11.66

3.70

2.70

9.40

8.33

7.73

659

Mean

Root

10.13

6.79

9.38

12.23

8.7710.68

10.76

5.81

434

979

8.89

7.38

Shoot

8.45

7.42

835

15.55

8.2412.71

14.73

8.69

5.20

12.25

10.98

10.63

Table 3 Average dry weight of the 10 days seedlings (mg/5 seedlings) of oats varieties atdifferent levels of salinity

varieties

Colabagh

Kent

JHO - 801

JHO - 802

JHO-810

JHO-815

JHO-816

S-3021

S-2688

Chauripatti

UPO - 201

Sierra

Mean

VarietySalinityVariety X

0

4766

3166

5066

59.00

50.33

6500

60 33

31.33

30 33

53.00

47 66

49.66

48.05

Salinity

40

45.66

26.33

46.00

59.00

44.66

63.66

56.00

3133

29.33

50.66

46 66

39 33

44.88

c

Salt concentration

80

45.33

26.33

44.33

56.00

39.00

62.33

54.66

2900

20.66

4333

46.66

39.33

42.24

.D. a t5%2.010.724.92

(m.e . / l )

120

36.66

24.33

34.66

55.33

36.00

5666

4933

2200

2000

42 33

43.00

32.33

37.71

160

2433

17.33

2333

4666

25.00

4633

4666

1566

9.00

40.33

3433

30 33

29.94

200

14.66

1100

19.66

45.66

22.00

4400

43.33

13.33

9.00

38.66

33 33

30.66

27 10

r*lcrUI 1

357122.83

3644

53.60

36.16

56 33

5171

23.77

1972

4471

41 94

36 94

126 VERMA and YADAVA

Like root and shoot length, dry weight of seedlings also decreased signficantly with theincreasing levels of salinity, as the dry weight of seedlings decreased from 48.05 mg undercontrol treatment to 27.10 mg under highest level of salinity (Table 3). However, the effectwas more pronounced beyond salinity level of 120 m.e./l. Variety JHO-815 recordedsignificantly highest dry weight as compared to other varieties. Varieties JHO-802 andJHO-816 were also found to give higher seedling dry weight at different levels of salinity.Variety S-2688 was found to accumulate lowest dry weight (19.72 mg). The significantinteraction between varieties into salinity levels indicate that varieties Colabagh, JHO-801,JHO-815, JHO-816, S-3021 showed the susceptibility to a salinity level of beyond 80 m.e./1. This effect was pronounced at low level of salinity in varieties Kent, JHO-810 and Sierra.On the other hand varieties JHO-802 and UPO-201 possessed the ability of tolerating asalinity level of 120 m.e./l without significant reduction in the dry weight of seedlings. Acritical perusal of data reveal that adverse of salinity was more pronounced on the seedlinggrowth rather that on germination. This.may perhaps be due to accumulation of highamounts of salts causing toxicity (AYERS and HAYWARD 1948, OTA and YASUE 1957, WAHAB

1961). The y^rietits JHO-815, JHO-802, JHO-816 and UPO-201 proved to be relativelymore salt tolerant over other varieties indicating distinct variability in the varieties for salttolerance.

Acknowledgement

Thanks are due to Director, Head, Division of Plant Improvement and Dr. R. N. CHOUBEY,Scientist S-2 (Plant Breeding) for providing facilities, encouragement and seed materialsrespectively.

Zusammenfassung

Salztoleranz einiger Hafersorten {Avena sativa L.)zum Zeitpunkt der Keimung und des Jugendwachstums

Die Salztoleranz von 12 Hafersorten {Avena sativa L.) wurde bei Versalzungsstufen von0, 40, 80, 120, 160 und 200 m.e./l in Petrischalen bei Raumtemperatur im Laboratoriumuntersucht. Die Keimungsprozente, Wurzel- und Sprofilangen sowie Trockengewichte derKeimpflanzen nahmen mit Anstieg der Versalzung ab. Grundsatzlich erwiesen sich dieSorten JHO-815, JHO-802, JHO-816 und UPO-201 salztoleranter als die anderen.

References

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Salt Tolerance of Some Oats Varieties at Germination and Seedling Stage 127

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