Impact of Water Salinity on upland Cotton Genotypes at Seedling Growth Stage

Abstract

Expansion of cotton in saline areas of Bangladesh requires to identify cotton genotypes that can thrive under saline environment. The study was performed to identify salinity tolerance cotton genotypes at seedling growth stage in 2019 at Salinity Management and Research Center, Batiaghata, Khulna, Bangladesh. Eight cotton genotypes namely CB-12, CB-14, CB- Hybrid-1, Rupali-1, DM-2, JA-17/6, JA-17/5 and JA—17/7 were evaluated under six saline 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 dS m^-1 and one non-saline (control) condition. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. Different water salinity used in this study significantly influenced the growth of cotton genotypes. Under the growth at 30 dS m^-1, the less reduction of root length was in genotype JA-17/7 (44%),  root fresh weight  and dry weight of root were reduced lowest of 42% in CB Hybrid-1, the lowest reduction of shoot length of 37% was recorded in genotype JA-17/6, the genotype Ja-17/5 showed the lowest decrease fresh weight of shoot of 45% and the decrease of  the dry weight of shoot was lowest in genotype JA-17/5 and JA-17/6.   The genotype CB-14_, CB Hybrid-1, Rupali-1_, JA-17/6_, JA-17/5 and JA-17/7 were identified as the moderately tolerant genotype against salinity based on relative performance of growth under the salinity level of 20 dS m^-1. These genotypes have the potentiality to grow under salinity stress condition.