Performance of Tomato Germplas Seedlings (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) To Salinity Stress

Muhammad Sibtain1, Kiran Dost1*, Laiba Ashraf1 and Tuba Faisal1

1Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad

Abstract

Tomatoes are a significant vegetable crop due to their high consumption and nutritional value. They have been developed to increase yield, fruit quality, and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses like heat, drought, and salinity. A study was conducted in a greenhouse using fifteen genotypes and three salinity levels. The study screened cultivars that adapt well to various saline stress levels and provide higher yields. Three levels of NaCl (OdS/m, 5dS\m, and 10dS/m) were used to assess changes in morphological traits such as germination percentage, shoot length, leaf area, number of leaves per plant, number of branches per plant, shoot dry weight, moisture percentage in shoot, moisture percentage in root, root length, and root dry weight. Data for these traits were collected after 45 days. High NaCl levels negatively affect plant growth, leading to decreased yields and reduced plant health. In this study a positive correlation between plant branch number and various traits like dry shoot weight, fresh root weight, root length, leaf area, shoot length, dry root weight, moisture in shoot and root, number of branches per plant, and root length, but weaker with branches and leaves. High heritability in leaf area, dry root and shoot weight, and fresh shoot weight shows that these traits are less affected by the environment and can be transferred to the next generation.