HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (13) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Al-Niemi, T. S. Articles by Rumbaugh, M. D. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Al-Niemi, T. S. Articles by Rumbaugh, M. D. Agricola Articles by Al-Niemi, T. S. Articles by Rumbaugh, M. D.

Response of Alfalfa Cultivars to Salinity during Germination and Post-Germination Growth

Plants, Soils and Biometeorology Dep., Utah State Univ., Logan, UT 84322-4820

Melvin D. Rumbaugh

USDA-ARS Forage and Range Res. Lab. Utah State Univ., and the USDA-ARS, Logan, UT. Utah Agric. Exp. Stn.

^* Corresponding author.

During post-germination growth, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivars may exhibit a different salinity tolerance from that expressed during germination. To explore this possibility, 86 cultivars and experimental populations of alfalfa were exposed to nine levels of NaCl ranging from 0 to 342.2 mM during germination. Cultivars that exhibited the highest (14 cultivars) and the lowest (8 cultivars) NaCl tolerance from the germination study were exposed to 0, 88, and 132 mM after the completion of germination under 0 NaCl to determine post-germination NaCl tolerance. There were no significant correlations between percent germination of these cultivars at 88 or 132 mM NaCl and their subsequent growth parameters. The IC₃₀, or the NaCl concentration that inhibited germination of 50% of the viable seeds, of the cultivars was negatively correlated only with shoot-to-root ratio when the plants were exposed to 132 mM NaCl after germination. Post-germination performance of cultivars that needed high NaCl concentration to inhibit 50% of their seed germination (high IC₅₀ group) was not significantly different from the low IC^ group under 88 or 132 mM NaCl treatments. The ability of alfalfa cultivars to germinate at high NaCl concentrations was not related to their post-germination performance under salt stress, except for the negative correlation between IC₅₀ and shoot-to-root ratio at 132 mM.

Received for publication June 24, 1991.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. D. Peel, B. L. Waldron, K. B. Jensen, N. J. Chatterton, H. Horton, and L. M. Dudley Screening for Salinity Tolerance in Alfalfa: A Repeatable Method Crop Sci., November 1, 2004; 44(6): 2049 - 2053. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]