Selection of a salt tolerant Tunisian cultivar of chili pepper (Capsicum frutescens)

LiAbstract B a c k g r o u n d : Sa l in i ty af fects g e r m i n a t i o n a n d s e e d l i n g g r o w t h a n d y ie ld o f severa l c r o p s p e c i e s , s u c h a s p e p p e r . T h a t i s w h y th is s t u d y w a s ca r r ied t o eva lua te the ef fects o f N a C I o n s e e d g e r m i n a t i o n , s e e d l i n g g r o w t h a n d ion ic b a l a n c e o f th ree T u n i s i a n chili p e p p e r {Capsicum frutescens) cv: T e b o u r b a , K o r b a a n d A w l a d H a f f o u z . M a t e r i a l s a n d M e t h o d s : T h e p e r c e n t a g e o f g e r m i n a t i o n , the g r o w t h a n d the m ine ra l c o n t e n t s w e r e m e a s u r e d in t he th ree T u n i s i a n chili p e p p e r cv w a t e r e d w i th w a t e r c o n t a i n i n g 0 , 2 , 4 , 6 or 8 g L 1 N a C I . R e s u l t s : R e s u l t s s h o w e d tha t d i f ferent sal in i ty s t r e s s levels h a d s ign i f i can t effect o n g e r m i n a t i o n p e r c e n t a g e a n d g e r m i n a t i o n t ime . I n p o t e x p e r i m e n t , i n c r e a s i n g N a C I c o n c e n t r a t i o n , fo r all cv, i n d u c e d a s ign i f i can t d e c r e a s e on p lan t he igh t , r o o t l eng th , l eaves n u m b e r , leaf a r e a a n d ch lo rophy l l a m o u n t . T h e f r e s h a n d d r y w e i g h t s a re a l s o a f fec ted. I n a d d i t i o n , sa l in i ty i n c r e a s e d N a + a n d C I " levels b u t d e c r e a s e d K + level i n r o o t s a n d s h o o t s . C o n c l u s i o n s : A w l a d H a f f o u z c v h a d the h i g h e s t K 7 N a + rat io c o m p a r e d t o c v K o r b a a n d T e b o u r b a a n d i t h a s s h o w e d the b e s t r e s p o n s e u n d e r sal t s t r e s s d u r i n g g e r m i n a t i o n a n d g r o w t h s t a g e w h i c h lets i t to be the m o s t to le ran t cv. K e y w o r d s : Capsicum frutescens, g e r m i n a t i o n , m ine ra l nu t r i t i on , sal ini ty, s h o o t .