Giancarla Velicevici

Salt-affected soils constrain wheat production in many countries. It is estimated that more than 831 million hectares (Mha) are salt affected globally, with 10 Mha of cultivated land lost annually. Salinity adversely affects wheat grain yield and grain quality traits. Wheat genotypes show wide variation for salinity stress tolerance. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the performance and stability of spike traits in 14 winter wheat varieties with different origin, in order to identify the varieties that can exploit the growing conditions of saline soils. The wheat material was tested in nine environments as a combination of three years and three fertilization treatments (urea, calcium nitrate, ammonium nitrate), using a split-plot design with three replications. At maturity plant height, spike length, grains number per spike, and spike yield were determined. The significant effect of genotype × environment interaction on the phenotypic expression of different traits indicates differential response of the genotypes across the testing environments, thus offering the possibility of identifying some genotypes of interest. The Romanian varieties ‘Alex’ and ‘Glosa’ present the highest productivity of spike associated with an average stability, being specifically adapted to favourable rainfall conditions, achieving above-average yields in less favourable conditions. The varieties ‘Cerere’, ‘Genesi’, ‘Alex’ and ‘Glosa’ can be selected for crossing and included in wheat breeding programs for the development of stable cultivars adapted to saline soils.