In vitro Screening of Salt Tolerent Genotypes in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Soil salinity is one of the most important abiotic stress that limit crop production. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is moderately tolerant to salinity and is typically cultivated in regions that are exposed to soil salinization. The aim of the study was to characterize phenotype response to salt stress under in vitro conditions of fourteen tomato genotypes. The shortest root length was observed entries BD-7260 at 250 mM. Longer roots (11.6 cm) were developed by the plants from the solutions containing 50 mM NaCl in entries BD-7302. NaCl concentration in the medium significantly affected the root length and plant weight of tomato. Genotypic distribution of weight LS means revealed that genotypes BARI-2 and the Line BD-7292 is the highest performed and the Line BD-7762 is the lowest performed. These findings indicated some salt tolerant tomato genotypes which will be promising for future hybridization program. Analysis of novel genes as well as some previously identified genes such as PIPs, LTPs, AGPs, PRPs, GRPs etc. which showed protective roles in different abiotic stresses to other crops is quiet necessary and the presence and expression pattern of those genes in these screened genotypes of tomato will provide powerful information for over-expression of those genes in transgenic plants those will confer salt tolerances to the cultivated tomato varieties.