Effect of Salinity on Germination of Three Varieties of Soybean (Glycine max) in Sudan-Sahelian Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the effect of salinity on the germination of three soybean (Glycine max) varieties to determine the salinity level most detrimental to germination and identify the most tolerant variety the research was carry out 2014. A pot experiment was conducted using four sodium chloride (NaCl) concentrations (0.00, 3.0, 4.5, and 6.0 g per 3 kg of soil) and three soybean varieties (TGX 1904-6F, TGX 1951, and TGX 1448-2E) arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications. Germination percentage (%) and rate significantly decreased with increasing NaCl concentration. However, no significant differences were observed among the varieties in terms of germination performance. The interaction between NaCl concentration and variety revealed that all varieties experienced reduced germination under higher salinity levels. These findings suggest that soybean germination is highly sensitive to salinity, regardless of variety.