Morpho-Biological Traits of Upland Cotton at the Germination Stage under Optimal and Salinity Soil Conditions
Abstract
Background and Objective: Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress factor affecting cotton production worldwide. This study aimed to deal with the morpho-biological traits of cotton affected by chloride-sulfate salt during the germination stage. Materials and Methods: About 21 cotton genotypes were obtained from Uzbekistan germplasm. Plant materials were grown in a greenhouse under optimum and soil salinity (mainly strong sulfate salinity) conditions. Data on plant morpho-physiological traits including germination rate, plant length and plant fresh and dry weight were collected at the seedling stage. The greenhouse experiments lasted 30 days. Results: Namangan-77, considered to be susceptible to salinity, was highly damaged by salinity stress. Salt-resistant KK-1795, Hapicala 19, Zangi Ota and An-Boyovut-2 varieties showed better morpho-biological characteristics than other varieties. A PCR test with the salinity-associated BNL-3140 marker proved that these varieties are molecularly resistant to salinity. Conclusion: Results on the plants germination rate and biomass as well as salinity-associated primer testing resulting from highly sulfated saline soil serve to identify genes that respond to salinity.