Aiuminium tolerance of durum wheat germplasm

Summary Aluminium tolerance of Macedonian durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. conv. durum (Desf.) MacKey) germplasm was evaluated in nutrient solutions containing 0, 74 or 148 M of total Al. Relative root length (148 M Al/0 Al) of various genotypes ranged from 41 to 72% (from moderately sensitive to moderately tolerant to Al). No genotype with Al tolerance close to that of very tolerant T. aestivum cultivar Atlas-66 was found. Seed Ca concentration was positively (r=0.64, P0.05) and seed Fe concentration negatively (r=–0.71, P0.05) related to the relative root growth. Such a significant correlation was not obtained for seed concentrations of other nutrients or seed protein content.Abbreviations HSD Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference - RRL-2 relative root length, in % (74 M total Al/0 M Al) - RRL-4 relative root length, in % (148 M total Al0 M Al)