Madan, ShashiGoyat, Ankita2017-10-112017-10-112017http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810032820The present investigation was conducted to study the effect of salt stress on physiological, biochemical, yield and quality parameters in two wheat varieties i.e saltsensitive (HD 3086) and salt-tolerant (KRL 210). Salt stress was imposed by irrigating the pots with artificial saline water of 8 and 12 dSm-1. The leaf samples were analysed for various physiological and biochemical parameters at 0, 10 and 20 days after anthesis. The relative water content, chl a and chl ratio gradually decreased with increasing days after anthesis whereas, more decrease in osmotic potential was at 10 days after anthesis in both cultivars and the magnitude of reduction was more in salt-sensitive cultivar (HD 3086) with increase in salt concentration. Chlorophyll stability index was low in HD 3086. The production of malondialdehyde content (MDA), which is an indicator of cell-membrane damage also increased in both cultivars with higher level of increment in the salt-sensitive cultivars than salt-tolerant cultivar. Salt stress resulted in higher increase in the activities of APX and POX in KRL 210 at 10 days after anthesis. Contrarily, ascorbic acid and carotenoids declined in leaves of both cultivars but more in HD 3086 cultivar upon exposure to salt-stress and days after anthesis. Adverse effect of salt stress on plants was associated with accumulation of less K+ and more Na+ in their flag leaf. This resulted in lower K+/Na+ ratio in both the varieties of wheat. Ratio K+/Na+was high in KRL 210. Salinity caused a decrease of hectolitre weight and an increase of protein, gluten and sedimentation value. Salinization led to reduction in test weight, grain number per spike, grain weight per spike, grain yield per plant. Salt susceptibility index (SSI) was less in KRL210.ennullThesis