The salt stress tolerance of 19 hybrid maize (Zea mays L.) varieties was tested in nutrient solution during the early growth stage under controlled environmental conditions. For the salt stress treatment, sodium chloride (NaCl) was applied to nutrient solution at a concentration of 250 mM for 6 days before the harvest. | Turk J Agric For 30 (2006) 365-373 © TÜB‹TAK Effect of Salinity Stress on Dry Matter Production and Ion Accumulation in Hybrid Maize Varieties Selim EKER1,*, Gönül CÖMERTPAY2, Ömer KONUfiKAN2, Ahmet Can ÜLGER2, Levent ÖZTÜRK3, ‹smail ÇAKMAK3 1 Çukurova University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Soil Science, 01330 Adana - TURKEY 2 Çukurova University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Field Crops, 01330 Adana - TURKEY 3 Sabanc› University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, 34956 ‹stanbul - TURKEY Received: Abstract: The salt stress tolerance of 19 hybrid maize (Zea mays L.) varieties was tested in nutrient solution during the early growth stage under controlled environmental conditions. For the salt stress treatment, sodium chloride (NaCl) was applied to nutrient solution at a concentration of 250 mM for 6 days before the harvest. Plants were harvested after 17 days of growth and analyzed for shoot and root dry matter production, severity of leaf damage (necrotic patches on older leaves), and the concentrations of potassium (K), sodium (Na) and calcium (Ca) in the roots and shoots. The varieties differed greatly in their response to the NaCl treatment. The development time and severity of leaf symptoms caused by 250 mM NaCl were varied markedly among the varieties. Based on the severity of leaf symptoms, the varieties Maverik and were classified as the most tolerant and sensitive varieties, respectively. The decreases in the shoot dry matter production as a consequence of the NaCl treatment were higher than the decreases in root growth. There was also a marked genotypic variation in concentrations of K, Ca and Na in roots and particularly in shoots. The higher salt tolerance in maize varieties based on the severity of leaf symptoms was associated with significantly lower Na concentrations in shoots. The K/Na and Ca/Na ratios were significantly greater in most of the tolerant varieties. The most sensitive variety, .
