Effect of salts on germination of seeds and growth of young plants of Hordeum vulgare, Triticum aestivum, Cicer arietinum and Brassica juncea

A greenhouse experiment was conducted on four crop plants in the western region of Gujarat State, India to assess their responses to increasing levels of soil salinity. Of the four crop plants tested (Hordeum vulgare, barley; Triticum aestivum, wheat; Cicer arietinum, gram and Brassica juncea, mustard), barley appeared to be the most tolerant to salinity with regard to seed germination and early growth of the plants. Wheat, gram and mustard were tolerant only to low soil salinity. However, high salt concentrations in the soil reduced the absorption of nitrogen and phosphorus by the young plants. The imbalance of mineral nutrients resulted in a reduction or an inhibition of plant growth. High salinity also caused burning symptoms on the leaves and shoot apices of barley.