Effect of Salt Stress on Chlorophyll Fluorescence and Grain Yield of Some Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) Cultivars

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Abstract

To study the effect of salt stress on chlorophyll fluorescence and seed yield of sunflower two experiments were conducted in greenhouse and field conditions in Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman, Iran, in 2010. Seven sunflower cultivars including Zaria, Bilizar, Armavirosky, Euroflou, Hysun 33, Farrokh and Progress, and four levels of salt stress 2, 4, 6 and 8 ds m-1, were studied as factorial arrangement in randomized complete block design with three replications in greenhouse and as split-plot arrangement in randomized block design in field conditions. Results showed that initial (F0) and maximum (Fm) fluorescence as well as quantum yield were significantly affected by salt stress. Ion leakage, relative water content and seed yield were also affected by salt stress. Increasing salt stress level decreased all abovementioned attributes except F0, Fm and ion leakage. Variety × salt stress interaction effect was significsnt on all of measured characteristics except grain yield and relative water content. The highest grain yield (2736.9 kg ha-1) was obtained from cv. Progress.

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