چکیده:
Millets are important agricultural crops for arid regions due to short life span and their resistance to salinity and drought conditions. In Iran, three main species of millets including proso millet (Panicum miliaceum), foxtail millet (Setaria italica) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) are cultivated in Shouthern Khorasan province, eastern Iran. In order to assess inter-specific genetic variation for salt tolerance at vegetative and reproductive stage, an experiment was conducted in split plot based on completely randomized block design. Nine genotypes of these millets collected from four
different regions of the Shouthern Khorasan province (Ghaen, Sarayan, Nehbandan, and Birjand) were subjected to three levels of salinity stress (1.5, 5.5, and 9.5 dS/m). Although the yield and other yield related parameters of millets decreased by salinity stress, this reduction was more prominent only at high level of salinity (9.5 dS/m). Remarkable differences among same species from different areas were observed. Growth and yield capacity of three millet species from Birjand
were also different. Of three millets, pearl millet from Birjand followed by foxtail millet, showed maximum yield potential under both salt stress and normal conditions. Of genotypes of foxtail millets, genotype from Sarayan exhibited maximum growth and yield potential under saline conditions. In contrast in proso-millets, genotype from Ghaen showed higher salt tolerance. Thus, salt tolerance varies in three millets from different regions, which could be further explored in
future research.
خلاصه ماشینی:
Relative salt tolerance of south Khorasan millets a* Abstract Millets are important agricultural crops for arid regions due to short life span and their resistance to salinity and drought conditions.
Nine genotypes of these millets collected from four different regions of the Shouthern Khorasan province (Ghaen, Sarayan, Nehbandan, and Birjand) were subjected to three levels of salinity stress (1.
Of three millets, pearl millet from Birjand followed by foxtail millet, showed maximum yield potential under both salt stress and normal conditions.
Pre treatment of millet seeds by osmotic stress improved salt tolerance of this plant (Ashraf and McNeilly, 1987; Ashraf and Idrees 1992; and Ashraf et al.
In this two years experiment, our objectives were to collect seeds of three main millet species from different locations of the province and the response of growth and yield of them was studied under different levels of salinity in irrigation water.
Pearl millet had lower tiller per plant than the other two millets and did not show high capability of tiller production at all levels of salinity (Table 3).
It seems likely that due to low accumulation of salt in the soil before application of brakish water in our experiment site, the primary stages of millet development did not significantly affected by salinity (Sing and Sing, 1995; Yensen 1995).
At high level of salinity the rate of decrease in number of seeds per panicle were vary among millet species, for example, this number in proso, foxtail and pearl millets 306.
The average grain yield of foxtail and proso millet at high level of salinity were 671.