Comparative eco- physiology of two cultivars of wheat (triticum aestivum cv. bari 26 and cv. pradip) in relation to soil moisture and salinity

Abstract

Experiment has been done with two cultivars of wheat cv Bari 24 and Bari 26 in relation to salinity and soil moisture to study the growth, yield and water relations. Salinity experiment was done in the laboratory in Petri dishes. Two cultivars of wheat, Triticum asetivum (cv. Bari-24 (Pradip) and cv. Bari- 26) were grown in the different concentrations of sodium chloride solution and the seedling growth was observed. Shoot and root length of the seedlings of both cultivars of wheat showed a significant (P= 0.05) decrease at the highest salinity treatment but at the lowest salinity treatment i.e. at 0.05 M NaCl both shoot and root length increased. It is suggested that the growth of both cultivars of wheat seedling is favoured by low NaCl salinity. Seeds of two cultivars of Triticum aestivum (cv. Bari- 24 and cv. Bari- 26) were grown in the field under wet (watering everyday) and dry (watered once in a week) treatments. Six harvests were done with an interval of 7 days. Growth analysis from successive harvest of plants showed that early pattern of growth was influenced by moderate restriction in the availability of soil water and was associated with marked shift in the allocation of growth resources in favour of root development. Plant height, total dry weight, shoot and root dry weight, relative growth rate, and root: shoot ratio were analyzed after every harvest. In wet treatment, the number of lateral roots showed luxurious growth from those of dry treatment. Root and shoot length of both cultivars was significantly (P= 0.05) higher than dry treatment. Apart from total dry weight, the root and shoot dry weights were also higher in wet treatment than that of dry treatment. Relative growth rate (RGR) did not show significant difference between wet and dry treatments. Root/ Shoot ratio of both cultivars in all treatments from 3rd harvest onward showed an increasing tendency. Spike length and weight were maximum in cv. Bari 24 under wet condition and minimum was in cv. Bari 26. The maximum value of Flag leaf area was found in cv. Bari-26 in wet treatment and lowest was in cv. Bari 24 in dry condition. The area of flag leaf did not show any significant difference (P= 0.05) between the treatments but an increasing tendency of flag leaf area was noted under wet condition. Tissue water relations in wet and dry treatments were examined in leaf material collected from the field, with a view to obtaining comparative data on the mechanism of adaptation to drought. The relative water content was significantly (P=0.05) lower in cv. Bari 24 under wet condition than dry treatment and was highest in cv. Bari 26 in dry treatment plants. Wet treatment plants showed the maximum rate of loss of water, while dry treatment plants showed the lowest. The plants of these two cultivars of wheat showed a significant difference in their growth and yield in relation to soil moisture.