EFFECT OF SALINITY (NaCl) ON GERMINATION AND SEEDLING GROWTH OF SOME COTTON GENOTYPES

An experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Laboratory of Agrotechnology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna, Bangladesh from 24 July to 12 August, 2018 to determine the effect of salinity on germination and seedling growth parameters of different cotton genotypes. Two factors include genotypes (CB-9, CB-10, CB-12, CB 14 and CB-15) and salt solution of different concentrations (control -0 dS m-1, 4 dS m 1 , 8 dS m-1, 12 dS m-1 and 16 dS m-1) were used. Relative to control (0 dS m-1) treatment, germination energy and germination capacity at 16 dS m-1 was maximum in CB-12 (0.72 and 0.77 respectively) where as germination percentage (0.99) and germination speed (0.92) was maximum in CB-9 and the relative value of all above parameters was minimum in CB-15 (0.02, 0.13, 0.41 and 0.09 respectively). In case of seedling growth parameters, root length and seedling vigor index at 16 dS m-1 was maximum in CB-10 (0.71 and 0.65 respectively) relative to control where as shoot length and seedling dry weight was maximum in CB-12 (0.69 and 0.89 respectively) and the relative value of all those parameters was minimum in CB-15 (0.5, 0.17, 0.31 and 0.59 respectively). Considering all germination and seedling growth parameters, CB-12 was supposed to be superior genotype followed by CB-9, CB-10 and CB-14 where as genotype CB-15 was more susceptible than other genotypes against salinity stress. 

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