Sodicity intensifies the effect of salinity on grain yield and yield components of wheat

This study reports the relationship of the leaf ionic composition with the grain yield and yield components of wheat in response to salinity x sodicity and salinity alone. The study was conducted in soil culture in pots with three treatments including control (ECe 2.6 dS m(-1) and SAR 4.53), salinity (ECe 15 dS m(-1) and SAR 9.56), and salinity x sodicity (ECe 15 dS m(-1) and SAR 35). The soil was treated before being put in the pots and the pots were arranged in a completely randomized factorial arrangement with five replications. The seeds of three wheat genotypes were sown directly in the pots and the study was continued till the crop maturity. At booting stage, the leaf second to the flag leaf of each plant was collected and analyzed for sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), and chloride (Cl-). At maturity, plants were harvested and data regarding grain yield and yield components were recorded. This study shows that salinity and sodicity in combination decreases the grain yield of wheat more than the salinity alone with a greater difference in the sensitive genotype. This study also shows that as for salinity, the maintenance of lower Na+ and higher K+ concentrations and higher K+: Na+ ratio in the leaves relates positively with the better development of different yield components and higher grain yield in saline sodic soil conditions. Although, the leaf Cl- concentration was increased significantly by salinity as well as salinity x sodicity and would have affected the growth and yield, yet it does not seem to determine the genotypic tolerance or sensitivity to either salinity or salinity x sodicity.