Assessment of salinity tolerance in soybean (Glycine max L.) through germination performance

Abstract

Introduction. Salinity may leave the onset of germination unchanged while impairing the formation of functional seedlings, early growth, and biomass accumulation in soybeans. Objective. To evaluate the response of soybean seeds to 0, 50, and 100 mM NaCl using early germination, seedling normality, growth, and biomass indicators. Methodology. A completely randomized design was used with three treatments and six experimental units per treatment, each containing 50 seeds from a commercial lot whose varietal identity was not declared. The test was maintained for eight days at 25 ± 2 °C under a 12 h photoperiod. Germination on day 5, normal seedlings on day 8, shoot and root lengths, water loss, and dry mass were measured. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test at 5%. Results. Day-5 germination remained between 88.83% and 94.00%, with no statistical differences. In contrast, normal seedlings decreased from 83.33% in the control to 57.83% and 45.83% at 50 and 100 mM. At 100 mM, shoot and root lengths reached 1.85 and 3.20 cm, water loss increased to 79.34%, and root and shoot dry mass decreased to 0.06 and 0.87 g. Conclusion. The evaluated seed lot retained a high capacity to initiate germination, whereas early seedling establishment was sensitive to NaCl, especially at 100 mM. Seedling normality, growth, and biomass discriminated against stress more effectively than the first germination count. General area of study: Agricultural sciences. Specific area of study: Plant physiology and seed technology. Type of study: Original article.