Salinity effects on zoysiagrass cultivars and experimental lines

Salt tolerant turfgrasses are highly desirable in areas associated with sal ine soils and/or saline irrigation waters. To determine the salt tolerance of 29 zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp.) experimental lines and cultivars, two green house studies were conducted by means of a hydroponic culture system. Sodiu m chloride was gradually added to a basic nutrient solution to obtain a fin al salinity level of 42.5 dS m(-1) Relative salt injury, indicated by leaf firing percentage, was associated with zoysiagass leaf length and texture. Short, fine leaf-textured zoysiagrass ('Diamond', DALZ8501, and their hybri ds) were most salt tolerant, coarse leaf-textured entries (Z. japonica Steu d. and their hybrids) intermediate, whereas long, fine leaf-textured entrie s ('Cavalier','Emerald', and 'Zeon') exhibited the least salt tolerance. Sa linity resulted in decreased K+ and increased Na+ in shoots of all cultivar s. Sodium content was significantly correlated with percentage of leaf firi ng, with Zeon, Emerald, 'DeAnza', Cavalier, and TAES4377 having the highest concentration of Na+, and TAES4357, TAES4361, and TAES4373 the lowest conc entration. Most hybrids with Diamond and DALZ8501 as parents exhibited good to intermediate salinity tolerance. The broad sense heritability was 0.67, 0.50, 0.41, 0.54, and 0.40 for relative leaf firing, shoot and root growth , and Na+ and K+ content, respectively. Results suggest that genetic progre ss may be made to develop salt tolerant zoysiagrass with conventional breed ing techniques.