EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT IRRIGATION WATER SALINITY LEVELS ON GERMINATION OF DIPLOID, TETRAPLOID AND HEXAPLOID WHEAT

The present study was conducted with diploid (Einkorn), tetraploid (Ege 88, Akcakale 2000, Alibaba, Tuten, Şolen 2002) and hexaploid (Kasifbey 95, Menemen, Saar, Cumhuriyet 79, Basribey 95) wheat cultivars to investigate the effects of different irrigation water salinity (ECi) levels (0.5 [control], 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 30, 40 dS/m) generated as to have a SAR value below 3 on germination ratio and germination power. Experiments were conducted in randomized plots design with 3 replications. Variance analyses revealed that irrigation water salinity levels, wheat ploidy levels, cultivars, “cultivar x salinity level” and “salinity level x ploidy level” interactions had significant effects on germination ratio and germination power (p< 0.05). Effects of irrigation water salinity levels on germination ratio and germination power varied with cultivars and decreasing germination ratio and germination power values were observed in cultivars with increasing salinity levels. Considering the greatest irrigation water salinity level of 40 dS/m, it was observed that hexaploid cultivars had the greatest tolerance and they were respectively followed by tetraploid and diploid wheat cultivars.