The Impact of Salinity on the Productivity and Quality of Durum and bread Wheat

Abstract

Salinity poses a significant challenge to the quality and productivity of crops. In the primary wheat cultivation areas worldwide, salinity negatively affects wheat growth, yield, and quality. To address this issue, the development of tolerant wheat varieties through selective breeding techniques is essential. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of salinity on grain yield, protein content, and thousand-kernel weight (TKW) among 55 different varieties and accessions of bread and durum wheat. The findings revealed that the application of salt treatment (100 mM NaCl solution) resulted in reduced growth and yield production in 45 bread and durum wheat varieties. However, 6 durum wheat varieties, 3 durum wheat accessions, and 1 common wheat accession showed insignificant susceptibility to salinity. These included Chryssodur from Greece, Saragolla, Silur, and Dakter from Italy, Sculptur from France, Karim from Tunisia, Algeria 70-2 from Algeria, Ethiopia 201 and Ethiopia 229 from Ethiopia, and the Morocco 85 accession of bread wheat from Morocco. The decline in grain yield could be attributed to salinity, which led to a decrease in photosynthetic capacity, resulting in reduced starch synthesis and accumulation in the grain. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that winter wheat exhibited greater tolerance to salt stress compared to spring wheat, and durum wheat displayed higher tolerance than common wheat. Additionally, salt accumulation was found to increase protein content in five varieties and one accession of durum wheat. This variation may be linked to the relatively stable nitrogen metabolism under salt stress, contributing to higher protein concentrations. TKW also decreased in all 10 varieties and accessions, irrespective of the species.