Boron tolerance in twelve NS wheat cultivars

Abstract

High concentrations of micronutrient boron may cause significant yield losses in wheat. One of the consequences of excess boron in wheat is root growth suppression. The objective of this study was to investigate the levels of root growth suppression during germination in the presence of different concentrations of boric acid (0-control, normal boron supply, 50 (B 50), 100 (B 100) and 150 (B 150) mg H3BO3/l). Twelve wheat cultivars, developed at the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad, were included in the analyses. The cultivars demonstrated significant differences with respect to root growth suppression at boron treatments. The genotypes were separated by hierarchical cluster analysis in two distinct phenotypic groups. The roots of cultivars Nevesinjka, Rapsodija, Milijana, Helena and Sonata are boron tolerant, whereas Košuta, Partizanka, Simonida, Kantata, Sofija, Balerina and Pesma are sensitive to excess boron.