Response of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to Irrigation Water Salinity: II. Effect on Ion Concentration and Protein Content

Thirteen salt tolerant wheat genotypes along with a local cultivar, WQS 160, were investigated for their response to five levels of irrigation water salinity viz. Control (2 dSm-1). 4, 8, 12 and 16 dSm-1 consecutively during two winter seasons. The results indieated that the effects of year, salinity, genotypes and their interactions were highly significant with respect to K+, Cl-, K+/Na+ ratio and protein. All the ANOVA components except three factor interaction viz. year it salinity x genotypes were highly significant for Na+ while all these components were not significant for P. There was strong and signifieant positive correlation of salinity with Na” (+0.722** and +0661**) in both years while the associations were equally strong and significant but negative between salinity and P (-0.159* and 0.234**), K* 0.521** and 0.633**) and K+/Na+(- 00.816**and 0.654**). The negative correlations of protein 00.146**) and Cl- (-0.277**) with salinity were significant only during Year 2 and Year 2, respectively. Differential nature of accumulation of different ions and protein at varying levels of salinity was found among the genotypes. The genotypes Sakha-69 and Sids-9 were assessed to be tolerant based on high K+, low Na+and Cl-, and high K+/Na+ ratio.