INFLUENCE OF WATER SALINITY ON CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF FIVE WHEAT CUL TIVARS

A sand culture pot experiment was conducted under the wire proof-green
house conditions to study the influence of irrigation water salinity on chemical
composition of some Egyptian and Syrian wheat cultivars. Two Egyptian wheat
cultivars, i.e. SakhaB (V1) and Sakha 69 (V2) and three Syrian wheat cultivars, i.e.
Bohos 5 (V3), Bohos 6 (V4) and Sham 4 (Vs) were irrigated with Hogland solution in
five water salinity levels; 0.4 (controJ'treatment), 6.0, 8.0,10.0 and 12.0 dS/m; S1, S2,
53, S4 and S5, respectively.
The observed results can be summarized as follows:
        *     The chemical composition of wheat cultivars was affected by irrigation with
different salinity levels ana wheat cultivars.
        *     The greatest N concentration; crude protein and N content in grains were attained
by Sham- 4: under (S1)' While the lowest N contents in grains and straw tissues
were found under high water salinity levels.
        *      The highest P concentration and P content in grain tissues were attained by
Sakha 69 under (S1) but the lowest were attained by Bohos 5 under S4.,
* The highest K concentration and K content in grain tissues were found in Bohos 5
- under (S,). While the lowest values in grains, straw and root tissues were attained
by Sakha 8 under S5, Sakha 69 under S5, and Sakha 8 under S4, respectively.
        *     The highest 'K:N_q ratio in 'root ana shoot.tissues were obtained by Bohos 5 under
(S1) and Bonos' 6 under SA, respectively. Substantial decrease in K:Na ratio in root
tissues was found with increasing water salinity levels.
        *     With the exception of Fe, trace elements studied accumulated to substantially
higher concentrations in grain than in straw and root tissues and lies within the
normal range.
        *     In general the results indicated that Sham 4 cultivar (Syrian cultivar) gave the
maximum values of N concentration and crude protein in grains and this
increased the nutritional value of wheat cultivar under the experiment conditions.