In this paper the salt tolerance in Brassicas and some related species w as compared. When seedlings germinated on sand cultures with liquid MS medium were considered, the relative germination rate, root length, shoot length and fresh seedling weight were significantly correlated with each other (P < 0.01), and only the relative shoot lengths were sig nificantly different among the tested genotypes (P < 0.05); When both seedlings germinated on MS and MS plus 0.4% NaCl were considered, only the relative shoot length of seedlings germinated on MS was significantly different from that germinated on MS + 0.4% NaCl (P < 0.05), and also only the relative shoot lengths were significantly different among the tested genotypes (P < 0.01). Raphanus sativa cv. Changfeng, B. juncea cv. JC and Brassica napus cv. ZS 10 showed low salt tolerance in terms of relative germination rate, root length, shoot length and fresh seedling weight; B. oleracea cv. JF-1, Sinapis alba cv. HN-2 showed high salt tolerance in terms of relative germination rate, root length, shoot length and fresh seedling weight. Based on our result we suggest that relative shoot length might be convenient to rank the salt tolerance but cluster analysis based on multiple parameters of relative germination rate, root length, shoot length and fresh seedling weight might be more accurate in screening for salt tolerance in Brassicas and related species.
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