The examination of Na-Ca effect on some qualitative and quantitative characters in durum wheat plants

Abstract

The effect of salt stress (NaCl) on shoot height (cm), root length (cm), dry and fresh weight (g), chlorophyll a and b, total chlorophyll (mg^-1) and carotenoid amount was investigated in this study. In addition, the positive effects of Ca⁺² (20 mM) were also investigated. Triticum durum Desf. Mirzabey, Kunduru-1149, and DH-6 and DH-8, derived from Kunduru-1149 using wide hybridization, were used as plant materials in this study. Arnon-Hoagland solution was used as food source for the plants and various NaCl concentrations (0, 50, 150 and 200 mM) and Ca⁺² (as CaCl₂) were added to Arnon-Hoagland solution. The research was completed at the end of the fifth week and the effect of NaCl on the root length of genotypes was found to be significant (P<0.05). Ca⁺² caused an increase in root length in all NaCl applications, except for the 200 mM NaCl, whereas shoot height decreased with increasing salt concentration, except for the 50 mM NaCl. This character also increased with Ca⁺² application significantly. Dry and fresh weight of the plant decreased with increasing salt concentration. Ca⁺² ameliorated dry and fresh weight of the plant at 50 mM NaCl in all the genoypes and NaCl doses, except for the Kunduru-1149 and DH-6. The highest increase in total chlorophyll amount was found in 50 mM NaCl + CaCl₂ in DH-8 (from 17.29 to 20.14 mg g^-1). However, the rate of increase in the amount of carotenoid by the addition of Ca⁺² was also determined for each genotype.

Key words: Triticum durum Desf., salinity, calcium, chlorophyll, carotenoid.