|
Assessment of response to salinity stress and genotype × environment interaction of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) promising genotypes in temperate climate of Iran
|
Elias Arazmjoo    , Ali Barati , Seyyed Ali Tabatabaei , Mehrdad Mahlooji |
| Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Karaj, Iran |
|
|
Abstract: (31 Views) |
Introduction: Soil and water salinity is one of the major abiotic constraints limiting sustainable crop production in arid and semi-arid regions. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is relatively tolerant to salinity stress and is therefore an important crop for marginal and salt-affected areas. Evaluation of germplasm across contrasting environments is required to identify promising genotypes with high grain yield potential under salinity stress conditions. Stress tolerance indices provide quantitative criteria for comparing genotypes under non-stress and salinity stress conditions. Because individual indices describe different aspects of stress response, their combined use with multivariate analyses can provide a more comprehensive approach to genotype selection. The present study was conducted to evaluate grain yield variation, salinity stress tolerance, and adaptation of promising barley genotypes across multiple environments and to identify the most informative stress indices for genotype selection.
Materials and Methods: Seventeen barley promising genotypes were evaluated using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Field experiments were conducted at three research stations in Birjand, Yazd, and Isfahan, Iran, during two consecutive cropping seasons, 2023-24 and 2024-25. At each location, normal and salinity stress conditions were established simultaneously in separate experimental fields. Under non-stres conditions, experiments were conducted on non-saline soils using irrigation water with an electrical conductivity (EC) of approximately 2-4 dS.m-¹. Under salinity stress conditions, irrigation water had an EC of 8-12 dS.m-¹ and soil EC ranged from 10 to 14 dS.m-¹. Experiments were sown during the first half of November using a Wintersteiger seed planter. Combined analyses of variance were performed separately for non-stress and salinity stress conditions to determine the effects of year, location, genotype, and their interactions. Stress-related indices, including yield reduction percentage (RC), tolerance index (TOL), mean productivity (MP), geometric mean productivity (GMP), harmonic mean (HM), stress susceptibility index (SSI), stress tolerance index (STI), yield index (YI), yield stability index (YSI), and relative stress index (RSI), were calculated using grain yield under non-stress and salinity stress conditions. A three-dimensional scatter plot based on grain yield under non-stress and salinity stress conditions and STI was used to classify genotypes. Principal component analysis (PCA) was also performed to examine the multi-traits relationships among genotypes, grain yield, and stress indices.
Results: Salinity stress significantly reduced grain yield in all barley genotypes, although the magnitude of grain yield reduction differed among genotypes and environments. Under non-stress conditions, the highest yields were recorded particularly in Isfahan during the first cropping season. Genotypes; G2, G13, and G6 reached 10365, 8443, and 8257 kg.ha-¹, respectively. The grain yield of G15 in the most severe saline condition was only 1450 kg.ha-¹. Genotype G1 exhibited a reasonable response across non-stress and saline stress conditions, maintaining relatively high grain yield and showing the lowest yield reduction among the leading genotypes. Genotype G8 also showed a relatively low yield reduction. Based on grain yield reduction and TOL, G1, G8, and G4 showed reasonable responses across the two conditions, whereas G14, G16, and G17 exhibited the greatest yield reductions, respectively. The stress tolerance indices differentiated barley genotypes according to their grain yield potential and responses to salinity stress conditions. Genotype G2 had the highest MP, while G1 showed a particularly reasonable GMP. Genotype G6 and G13 also showed reasonable values for productivity-based indices. The check cv. Armaghan exhibited a desirable combination of grain yield under both conditions. SSI values below one were observed for G1, G8, G4, and G3, indicating lower-than-average sensitivity, whereas G14, G16, and G17 showed greater sensitivity. YSI and RSI also identified G1, G8, and G4 as genotypes capable of maintaining a relatively greater proportion of their yield under salinity stress conditions. STI and YI identified G1, G2, G6, G13, G7, and G17 as promising genotypes based on their grain yield under non-stress and saline conditions. Correlation analysis showed significant positive relationships between grain yield under non-stress conditions and MP, GMP, STI, and HM. Under salinity stress conditions, grain yield was strongly and positively correlated with YI, HM, STI, and GMP.
Conclusion: The results of the present research demonstrated significant variation among barley promising genotypes in grain yield response to salinity stress conditions. Genotype G1 was identified as the most promising genotype based on its relatively high grain yield, low yield reduction, and reasonabl stress-response characteristics. Genotype G2 and G6 also combined high grain yield potential with reasonable grain yield under salinity stress conditions, while G7, G13, and G17 showed reasonable values for STI and YI. The identified promising genotypes will be considered for further evaluation and use as genetic resources in the national barley breeding program targeting salt-affected areas in temperate regions of Iran.
|
|
| Keywords: Barley, Correlation coefficient, Grain yield, Multi-environment trials and Salinity stress |
|
|
Full-Text [PDF 711 kb]
(21 Downloads)
|
Type of Study: Scientific & Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2026/02/11 | Accepted: 2026/09/11 | Published: 2025/12/1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Send email to the article author |
|
|
|
| Add your comments about this article |
|
|
|
|
Arazmjoo E, Barati A, Tabatabaei S A, Mahlooji M. Assessment of response to salinity stress and genotype × environment interaction of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) promising genotypes in temperate climate of Iran. Iranian Journal of Crop Sciences. 2025; 27 (3) :265-284 URL: http://agrobreedjournal.ir/article-1-1449-en.html
|
