Genetic variability for seedling characters in lentil under salinity stress

Abstract

A laboratory experiment was conducted to study genetic variation in 10 genotypes of lentil (Lens culinaris M.) under four levels of salinity (0, 20, 40 and 60 mM NaCl). 15 seeds of each genotype were placed in sterilized petridishes layered with autoclaved germination papers at 24±20C in the culture room. The ANOVA over different salinity levels revealed significant variation among genotypes, salinity levels and their interactions for all the characters except germination percentage. The reductions in mean values were severe in germination percentage, plumule length, radicle fresh weight, plumule dry weight, radicle dry weight, and seedling vigour index under high salinity. The highest GCV, PCV and genetic advance was observed in plumule to radicle length ratio followed by radicle length and heritability in broad sense was generally high for plumule fresh weight, radicle length and seedling length across the salinity levels, indicating that variation was highest for these characters among the genotypes.

Keywords

• lentil
• salinity
• variation
• gcv
• seedling.