INFLUENCE OF THE MODE OF SALINIZATION ON REPRODUCTIVE TRAITS OF FIELD-GROWN PROGENY IN SORGHUM-BICOLOR

The offspring of Sorghum bicolor CL.) Moench plants exposed to 150 mM NaCl eight or twenty-one days following germination were grown in fiel d conditions, and were irrigated with non-saline water. As compared to the offspring of non-treated plants, the progeny of plants early-expo sed to NaCl displayed an increase in shoot dry weight and stem height, but some of them showed a significant decrease in fertility. Similar changes were observed, but to a lesser extent, in the offspring of pla nts late-exposed to salinity. A similar increase in phenotypic variabi lity was observed in populations of progeny from earIy- and late-treat ed plants. After verifying that the changes observed did not result fr om an artifactual selection, it was concluded that the NaCl treatment is able to influence characters expressed during the late development of the plant progeny. The nature of the induced change is discussed in relation to the plant response, adaptation or resistance, induced by the early or late exposure to salinity in the parent generation.