Variability in Salt Tolerance of Four Triticale Lines at Germination and Emergence1

Improving crop tolerance of salinity is one way to help maximize production on irrigated lands in arid and semiarid areas where the salinity of soils and irrigation water is a problem. Four lines of triticale (✕ Triticosecale Wittmack) were compared for salt tolerance at germination and emergence. At 200 mM NaCl from planting to the 7th day, line 6TB371 emerged at a rate of 884%, ‘Siskiyou’ at 46.2%, 6TB278 at 18.0%, and 6TA208 at 13.7%. The emergence of Siskiyou was improved to 60.0% by adding 5.0 mM CaSO4 to the treatment solution. The variation in emergence observed may be useful in programs to improve salt tolerance in this crop, and for comparative studies on mechanisms of salt tolerance.