Effect of salinity on the germination of cotton seeds.

Abstract

The effects of salinity on the plant are first noticed during the germination process. This work aimed at evaluating the germination of five cotton cultivars: CNPA ITA 90, CNPA ITA 96, CNPA 8H, BRS Sucupira, and DeltaOpal submitted to solutions with electrical conductivity of 0; 3.0; 6.0, and 9.0 dS.m-1under laboratory conditions. Cultivars DeltaOpal and BRS Sucupira did not present significant differences on germination percentage when in distilled water and three different levels of salinity. Cultivars CNPA ITA 96 and CNPA 8H differed from the control only under the highest salt concentration, while CNPA ITA 90 presented a gradual decrease in germination with an increase in salt concentration.