photosynthesis in the 7H Asakaze komugi/Manas wheat/barley addition line during salt stress

The photosynthetic responses induced by NaCl were investigated in the 7H Asakaze komugi/Manas wheat/barley addition line developed in the Agricultural Research Institute, Martonvásár, Hungary, in the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cv. Asakaze komugi (Akom) and wheat line Martonvásári 9 kr1 (Mv9kr1) and in the barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cv. Manas. An increase in the NaCl concentration of the nutrient solution to 200 mmol L−1 resulted in considerable stomatal closure and a decreased net CO2 assimilation rate (A) in the wheat genotypes, while the changes in these parameters were less significant for barley and the 7H addition line. Parallel with this, a relatively high non-stomatal limitation (Lm) of A was observed in wheat genotypes, which was not significant in Manas or the wheat-barley addition line at this level of salt stress. At severe stress (300 mM L−1 NaCl concentration) A and stomatal conductance were strongly inhibited in all the genotypes examined; however, Lm was less significant in the addition line and its parental wheat genotype. These preliminary results suggest that the 7H Akom/Manas addition line might be a good candidate for improving the salt tolerance of wheat in the future, and encourage further detailed physiological analysis of this addition line.