Abstract

The genetic basis of salt tolerance was investigated in six bread wheat  cultivars (Local white, Pavon, Pasban 90, Frontana, Tobari 66 and Chakwal 97) differing in salinity tolerance, and their F₁ crosses made in a half diallel mating design. The F₁s and parents were germinated in pots, and were subjected to 200 mM NaCl salt stress after one month. Most of the crosses had high heterosis for yield suggesting that breeding for high yield under salt stress is possible. Narrow sense (h² _N) heritability estimates ranged from 0 to 51%, whereas broad sense (h² _B) heritability estimates ranged from 25 to 84 % for the studied traits. Additive genetic effects were significant for days to heading, days to maturity, plant height and fertile tillers plant^-1, suggesting that early selection could be useful to bring desirable changes in these characters under NaCl stress. Dominance effects were significant for yield and yield contributing traits, indicating that selection for yield under NaCl stress would be effective in later generations.

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