VARIATION IN THE LEAF SODIUM CONTENT OF THE HORDEUM-VULGARE (BARLEY) CULTIVAR MAYTHORPE AND ITS DERIVED MUTANT CV GOLDEN-PROMISE

Tests for shoot and root sodium content were carried out on various ba rley cultivars (Hordeum vulgare) and experimental lines including wild barley (H. spontaneum) and derivatives. Lines were grown in hydrocult ure with and without the addition of salt (NaCl), and sodium concentra tions in shoots and roots were determined. Variation in shoot sodium c ontent was found between the various lines; in contrast, no significan t differences were found between the lines tested for root sodium cont ent. The most significant finding was the variation in shoot sodium co ntent between the two cultivars Golden Promise and Maythorpe, Golden P romise is a direct gamma-ray induced mutant of the cultivar Maythorpe and the reduced shoot sodium content of Golden Promise can be attribut ed to radiation treatment.