Effects of sodium chloride salinity on seed germination, seedling root and shoot extension growth of four sorghum, Sorghum bicolor cultivars.

Abstract

Seed germination and seedling root and shoot extension of 4 sorghum cultivars decreased with increasing salinity. Transfer of seeds that had not germinated in various salt treatments to distilled water, only slightly increased the number of seeds that germinated. The decrease in seed germination and shoot/root extension was attributed largely to ionic toxicity rather than to osmotic factors. Root extension was more sensitive to salinity stress than shoot extension in cv. KAT/369, Seredo and KAT/487, but the opposite was the case in cv. Serena. Seredo and KAT/487 were more tolerant to salinity with respect to seed germination, while KAT/369 and Serena were more tolerant to salinity with respect to root/shoot extension.