Physiological and Morphological Responses of Two Barley Cultivars to Salinity Stress in Relation to Grain Yield

In order to study the physiological responses of two barley cultivars to salinity stress, a 4-replicate CRD greenhouse experiment was conducted during at the College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Iran2003-2004. The treatments consisted of two barley cultivars: Afzal and Reyhan and five salinity levels: 0, 4, 8, 12 and 14 dS/m. Seedling emergence, number of tillers and leaves per plant, leaf area and dry matter decreased with increasing salinity levels. The reductions were lower in Afzal (salt tolerant) than Reyhan (salt sensitive). A lower Na+ and higher K+Na+ in Afzal compared to Reyhan were observed under high level of salinity. The results of the present experiment also showed that the tolerance to salinity was associated with a greater stomatal conductivity, as well as transpiration and photosynthesis rate. Sub-stomatal CO2 concentration in both cultivars decreased with an increase in salinity, with the exception of 12dS/m, where it led to an increase in sub-stomatal CO2 concentration. Leaf temperature increased with an increase in salinity level in both cultivars, whereas a more pronounced decrease for number of fertile tillers, ears per plant, kernels per ear, thousand grain weight and harvest index was observed in Reyhan compared to Afzal .Since a higher tolerance to salinity in Afzal was apparently associated with a lower concentration of Na+ and a higher K+/Na+ ratio of the shoots, this trait could probably be used for yield improvement of barley cultivars under saline conditions.