Screening of barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumentacea) germplasm for salinity tolerance

Indian Barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumentacea) is a climate resilient crop known for high degree of tolerance to salinity. The present study was undertaken to investigate the nature of genetic variation existing in the barnyard millet germplasm for salt tolerance. Different levels of salt stress (50 mM, 100 mM, 150 mM and 200 mM) were imposed on germination stage. The barnyard millet genotypes are able to tolerate upto 200 mM concentration during germination when compared to the tolerant rice genotype FL478. Among plant characters studied the germination percentage, root length, shoot length, fresh and dry weight, relative root length, relative shoot length, relative germination percentage, vigour index were affected by salinity. The vigour index and germination percentage during 200 mM stress helped to differentiate the salt tolerance genotypes viz., CO (KV) 2, MDU-1, PRJ1, TNEf 301, TNEf 204, TNEf 361, TNEf 364, VL 29 from other germplasm.