INTRA-SPECIFIC VARIATION FOR SALT TOLERANCE IN LINSEED (LINUM-USITATISSIMUM L)

Thirty-six accessions of linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) were screened for salt tolerance at the seedling stage after 2 weeks growth in solution culture salinized with 150 mol m(-3) NaCl. Considerable variation in salt tolerance was observed in this set of germplasm. Two salt-tolerant accessions, T-5(69-S9)B and LS-2 and two salt-sensitive accessions P-70 and Aver-Rer-Seic, selected at the seedling stage, were grown to maturity in sand culture salinized with 0 (control), 70, 140, and 210 mol m(-3) NaCl. Both the salt-tolerant accessions exceeded the two salt-sensitive accessions in biomass production, seed yield, and yield components, but the accessions did not differ significantly in seed oil content in the salt treatments. The tolerant accessions accumulated greater amounts of Na+ in the shoots and less in the roots compared with the salt-sensitive accessions. The shoot K+, K:Na ratios, and K+ versus Na+ selectivity were lower in the salt-tolerant accessions compared with the salt-sensitive accessions; the reverse was true for their roots. Contributions of Na+ and Ca2+ to osmotic adjustment were much higher in the two salt-tolerant accessions than in the salt-sensitive ones. It has been established that there is a great deal of variation for salt tolerance in linseed. The degree of salt tolerance of this crop does not vary during ontogeny. The physiological basis of salt tolerance of this species appears to be associated with the inclusion of Na+ in the shoots.