Effect of saline water irrigation on tolerant and sensitive wheat varieties under disparate soil fertility conditions.

Improved soil fertility (80 kg ha-1 each of N and P2O5) significantly increased the growth and yield of both salt tolerant (Kharchia-65) and sensitive (HD-2009 and HD-4502) wheat varieties under saline water (10 dSm-1) irrigation. This improvement of plant performance was associated with increased concentrations and absolute quantities of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, decreased concentrations of sodium and chloride in the shoot tissue and reduced Na:K ratios. Nutritional improvement under both normal and saline conditions led to higher concentrations of chlorophyll and soluble protein and increased activity of nitrate reductase in the leaf tissue. However, the adverse effects on growth, yield, nutrient uptake and metabolism, induced by salt stress, were markedly higher in sensitive varieties, HD-4502 and HD-2009 as compared to the tolerant variety, Kharchia-65.