Researches on the resistance of certain plants by measuring germ tolerance

Abstract

The behaviour of certain plants in young stage concerning their resistance to soil salinity was measured. The plants involved were the following: Secale cereale, Hordeum vulgare, Sorghum vulgare, Medicago sativa, Melilotus officinalis, Onobrychis viciaefolia, Cicer arietinum, Helianthus annuus, Carthamus tinctorius and Beta vulgaris. The measurements were done in vegetation pots on two salty soils: solonchak containing chlorides and carbonates (pH 7,6) and 3,16% salinity (1,76 % chlorides) at depth of 0-20 cm; solonetz with chlorides and carbonates having, at depth of 0-15 cm, a water pH of 7,5 and 0,53% salinity and at 30-40 cm a 1,26% salinity. Of the plants studied the highest tolerance to salinity, as early as germination stage, was proved by Hordeum vulgare, followed by Beta vulgaris and Carthamus tinctorius. With some plants, such as Helianthus annuus and Cicer arietinum there had been noticed an increased resistance of seedling to salinity as compared with the germination stage.

Keywords

• salt tolerance
• germination
• cultivated plants