Berhane Gebreslassie Gebreegziabher
Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia
Biography:
Berhane Gebreslassie Gebreegziabher, Department of Biology, College of Science, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia
Abstract:
Dekoko (Pisum sativum var. abyssinicum) is one of the most important food legumes grown in south Tigray and north Wollo, northern Ethiopia. It is one among the most important food legumes in terms of price and protein content. It grows alone and mixed with many cereal crops growing in north Ethiopia. This study was conducted with the objective of selecting tolerant and relatively high yielding P. sativum var. abyssinicum collections under different salt (NaCl) concentrations at laboratory conditions. The seeds of the six collections were obtained from four districts; two regional states of north Ethiopia with different attitudinal ranges 1868 m a.s.l. being the lowest and 2457 m a.s.l. the highest. The six on farm vigorously growing local collections, three from Ofla (T-001/08OF, T-002/08OF and, T-003/08OF), one from Sirinka (T-025/08Sr), one from Emba-Alaje (TA-026/15E/A), and one from Endamohoni (T-023/15MW) were studied for salt stress tolerances in controlled condition by priming in four salt treatment levels (5 dS/m, 7 dS/m, 9 dS/m, and 15 dS/m). Distilled water (0 dS/m) was used as control. Fifty (50) surface sterilized seeds per petri dish were sown for the four salt treatments and the control. Collections T-001/08 from Ofla and T-023/08 from Endamohoni showed good growth performance at 5 dS/m. However, T-025/08Sr from Sirinka and TA-026/15E/A from Emba-Alaje responded positively up to 7dS/m. At higher salinity level (9dS/m) growth features decreased with increasing salinity stress. But, T-023/15MW, T-001/08OF, T-025/08Sr followed by TA-026/15E/A from lower to the higher resistances, respectively, could withstand lower (5dS/m) to medium (7dS/m) concentrations of salinity as compared to the other collections.