Genotypic basis of response to saliniity stress in some crosses of spring wheat Triticum aestivum L.

Wheat genotypes HD 2009, WH 157 and Kh 375 and their six F₁ crosses were evaluated for grain yield, biological yield and 1,000 grain weight under four levels of salinity (ECe 2.1, 6.2, 8.5 and 10.6 dS m^-1) in lysimeter type microplots. Parents Kh 375, WH 157 and HD 2009 were tolerant, moderately tolerant and sensitive to salinity, respectively. Reciprocal differences for salinity tolerance occurred for grain yield and 1,000 grain weight. The sensitive parent response was partially dominant whereas the salinity tolerant parent showed partial dominance for yield potential. Salinity tolerance and yield potential appeared to be controlled by different gene complexes. The cross Kh 375 × HD 2009 should provide transgressive segregants combining high yield potential with high salt tolerance. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.