Effect of Salinity on Growth Chemical Composition and Antioxidative Enzyme Activity of Two Malting Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Cultivars

The effects of salinity on the growth, chemical composition and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POX)activities of 2 malting barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars (Kaya and Scarlet) were studied. In 10-day-old seedlings, salinity stress was initiated by applying an appropriate amount of NaCl to water, and it lasted for 30 days. Salinity decreased growth of the cultivars significantly. Scarlet restricted entry of Na+ and Cl- into root and translocation to leaves more efficiently than did Kaya. Asa whole Scarlet produced a higher amount total chlorophyll under salinity than did Kaya. POX activity of the cultivars decreased with salinity up to 20 dS m-1, and then increased. In contrast to POX, salinity increased the SOD activity of leaves. Compared to the control application, 5.31% and 16.34% increases were determined in SOD activity, in 10 dS m-1 salinity, for Kaya and Scarlet, respectively.