Fahed Albiski^*(1) Ramzi Murshed⁽³⁾  Nour Al Qabbani⁽¹⁾ Wasim Mohsen⁽²⁾ Bassam Al Atalah⁽²⁾ and Khouzama Al Kountar⁽²⁾

(1). General Organization of Biotechnology, Ministry of High Education, Damascus, Syria.

(2). Sweidaa Research Center, General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR), Damascus, Syria.

(3). Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.

(*Corresponding author: Dr. Fahed Albiski. E-Mail: fahedalbiski@yahoo.com).

Received: 23/08/2018                                Accepted: 01/10/2018

Abstract

The experiment was conducted in order to study the effect of osmotic stress on some morphological parameters in eight Syrian wheat varieties (Triticum Spp.) using plant tissue culture technique. Osmotic stress was imposed by adding different concentrations of sorbitol to (C₆H₁₄O₆) the culture medium (0, 110, 220,330 and 440 mM), which are equal to -0.82, -1.09, -1.44, -1.79 and -2.14 MPa, respectively on the osmotic potential basis. Plant length (cm), number of leaves, number and length (cm) of roots, plant fresh and dry weights (g), plant water and dry weight content (%) were measured. Results revealed a genetic variability in the response of the investigated varieties for osmotic stress based on the studied parameters. Progressive reduction in the studied parameters occurred as osmotic stress increased compared to the control. Cluster analysis, based on the relative values of all the growth parameters response to osmotic stress, showed three distinct groups: the osmotic stress tolerant group, which included four varieties (Doma1, Bohouth11, Bohouth8 and Guolan2); the moderately osmotic stress tolerant group, included three varieties (Doma4, Cham3 and Bohouth7) and the osmotic stress susceptible group, included one variety (Cham10).

Keywords: Screening, Wheat, Osmotic stress, Sorbitol, Tissue culture, Cluster analysis.

Full paper in Arabic: PDF