EFFECT OF TILLER REMOVAL ON ION CONTENT IN MAINSTEM AND SUBTILLERS OF SPRING WHEAT UNDER MODERATE SALINITY

The reduction in tiller number is a major reason for a decrease in grain yield of wheat. Thus, we hypothesize that the limiting growth of tillering of wheat plant under saline conditions may be due to a different distribution of ions among tillers, which may be tested by tiller removal. Two contrasting spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes were subjected to five levels of detillering treatments under saline or non-saline conditions grown in a greenhouse. Sodium (Na⁺), potassium (K⁺), calcium (Ca²⁺), chloride (Cl^?), and nitrate (NO₃ ^?) concentrations in the top leaves of tillers were determined at plant maturity. Regardless of genotypes, the moderate salinity significantly increased the Na⁺ and Cl^? concentrations in the top leaves and the decreased NO₃ ^? in the mainstem, subtillers and whole plant. Potassium and Ca²⁺ concentrations in leaves were not affected or slightly increased by salinity. Under moderate salinity, Na⁺ and/or Ca²⁺ concentrations in mainstem, subtillers and the whole plant were increased with a decrease in tiller removal for both genotypes, while there was almost no effect of tiller removal on Cl^? and NO₃ ^? concentration. The tiller removal increased the tolerance of wheat to tissue Na⁺ content, especially for the salt sensitive genotype. Thus, the salt-specific effects in wheat plant could be alleviated by fewer tillers per plant through the removal for the salt-sensitive genotype. However, our study did not show the competition for the mineral nutrients among tillers under saline conditions. Thus, we speculate that there is a competition for photoassimilates among the tillers under saline conditions, especially for the salt sensitive genotype, which needs to be investigated further.