Improving the Germination Salt Tolerance of Alfalfa

Abstract

The development of alfalfa that can germinate at extremely high NaC1 levels will improve early emergence and establishment of this important forage crop in saline soils. We have identified plants in the eighth cycle of selection that germinated at -3.0 MPa (30,000 ppm). Seed from these plants displayed a 40% better germination at -2.1 MPa (21,000 ppm) than the previous cycle. Germination at higher salt concentrations were not different between the two germplasm sources.