EVALUATION OF WHEAT GENOTYPES FOR SALINITY TOLERANCE BASED ON AGRONOMIC TRAITS

Salinity stress is one of the important constraints to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production globally. Breeding for salinity tolerance using novel genetic resources is an important mitigation strategy. This study aimed to identify and select the best wheat genotypes that are tolerant to salinity stress and provide them to researchers and wheat breeders for more intense evaluation and screening. Twenty two wheat genotypes, as well as two commercial cultivars, were regenerated and evaluated for salinity tolerance. Highly significant effects were detected for the measured traits for years, genotypes and treatment under normal and salinity stress conditions over all the two years. Interaction between treatments and genotype and interaction between genotypes and years were highly significant for all studied characters overall the two years and conditions, except plant height. Genotypes 13, 14 and Giza 168 showed the highest grain yield (ton/ha) under normal soil over two seasons, Also, genotypes 19, 20 and Giza 168 showed the highest grain yield (ton/ha) under salinity soil. The highest SSI value was detected for genotype 14, followed by genotypes 15 and 10 which had the highest values. Based on STI, MP and GMP indices, Giza 168, genotypes 19, 7 and 21 had the highest values. Grain yield under normal conditions (YP) was significantly and positively correlated with an STI, MP, GMP, TOL and SSPI. Grain yield under salt-stressed (YS) was significantly and positively correlated with an STI, MP, GMP, YSI, YI and HM. These results suggest that indices, STI, MP and GMP were able to identify high-yielding wheat genotypes under both normal and salt-stressed conditions. Frist PC accounted for about 7.42% of the variation in salt tolerance indices and the second PC for 3.57% by using biplots genotypes 20, 19 and Giza 168 were identified as the most stable high yielding genotypes under salinity stress.