Early growth of wheat is more sensitive to salinity than boron at levels encountered in alkaline soils of south-eastern Australia

Abstract

The early vegetative growth of 3 wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars, Frame, BT Schomburgk and Schomburgk, was evaluated over a range of soil salinity and soluble boron (B) concentrations in pots. Additions of boric acid and mixed salts to a sandy clay soil produced extractable B levels of 2, 13, 24, 51 and 129 mg/kg and salinities (ECe) of 0.8, 8, 15, 23 and 29 dS/m. In both cases, the levels produced in the first 4 treatments corresponded well with those commonly observed in subsoils of the southern Mallee. Within the ranges tested, wheat cultivars had relatively greater tolerance to B toxicity than to salinity. Significant differences in tolerance also existed among the 3 cultivars for..