TOLERANCE OF WHEAT (TRITICUM-AESTIVUM) AND TRITICALE (X TRITICOSECALE) TO MANGANESE DEFICIENCY

An experiment was conducted during winter season (rabi) of 1988-89 to study the tolerance of 9 varieties of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emen d. Fiori & Paol) and 1 variety of triticale (xTriticosecale Wittmack) on loamy-sand soil deficient in Mn. The varieties giving < 30, 30-55 a nd > 55% increase in grain yield of wheat compared with the control on Mn application were classified tolerant, moderately tolerant and leas t tolerant to Mn stress. The wheat varieties 'WL 1562', 'PBW34' and 'P BW54' were rated least tolerant, and 'DWL5023', 'WL2265' and 'WL711' m oderately tolerant. A triticale variety 'TL419' and 3 wheat varieties 'WL 410', 'HD 2329' and 'PBW 120' were rated Mn tolerant, as these had a much higher Mn uptake (213-248 g/ha) than the least tolerant variet ies (97-138 g/ha). Grain yield was significantly related with both Mn concentration in flag-leaf (r = 0.69) and Mn uptake (r = 0.86) as wel l as harvest index (r = 0.68).