9728576 Dvorak Salinity is an environmental condition in many natural situations. Salinization is also a major hazard to irrigated agriculture. Therefore, the understanding of the mechanisms by which plants adapt to saline environmental conditions is important both for the sake of the basic knowledge and for practical reasons. In the previous phase of this project, an amphiploid (a stable hybrid) from a cross between Lophopyrum elongatum, a highly salt-tolerant relative of wheat, and wheat was shown to be salt-tolerant. Wheat lines carrying individually each of the seven L. elongatum chromosomes were developed and used to identify Lophopyrum elongatum chromosomes controlling salt tolerance. Each L. elongatum chromosome was found to enhance salinity tolerance of wheat. Chromosomes 1E, 3E, 6E, and 7E were found to be enhance salinity tolerance by controlling potassium/sodium ion selectivity. In this phase of the project these for chromosomes will be recombined with specific wheat chromosomes. Genes controlling salt tolerance via enhancing potassium/sodium ion selectivity on these four chromosomes will be identified and mapped.
