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SALT-INDUCED VARIATION IN SOME POTENTIAL PHYSIOCHEMICAL ATTRIBUTES OF TWO GENETICALLY DIVERSE SPRING WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) CULTIVARS: PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND PHOTOSYSTEM II EFFICIENCY

MUHAMMAD ARSLAN ASHRAF¹ AND MUHAMMAD ASHRAF¹

Abstract: Variation in salt tolerance potential of two contrasting wheat cultivars (salt tolerant S-24 and moderately salt sensitive MH-97) at different growth stages was observed when these wheat cultivars were exposed to salinity stress in hydroponic culture. Salinity caused a marked reduction in photosynthetic pigments, transpiration and photosynthetic rates, and stomatal conductance at early growth stages in both wheat cultivars, being more prominent in cv. MH-97. In addition, a marked salt-induced alteration was observed in different attributes of chlorophyll fluorescence. On the basis of physiological characterization of these two wheat cultivars at different growth stages, it was inferred that cv. S-24 exhibited higher salinity tolerance at all growth stages in terms of less salinity-induced degradation of photosynthetic pigments, higher photosynthetic rates, maintenance of photosystem II under salinity stress as compared to that in cv. MH-97. In view of the results presented here, it is evident that wheat plants were prone to adverse effects of salinity at early growth stages as compared to later growth stages.

¹Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

^*Corresponding author’s e-mail: ashrafbot@yahoo.com