Salt Tolerance adaptation Development in Cotton Cultivars (Gossypium hirsutum L.) through In Vitro Regeneration

Production of salt tolerant plants is one of the ways to utilize the waste saline lands. This study was undertaken to develop the protocol for consistent production of salt tolerant Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) plants through direct organogenesis. 25mM to 200mM of NaCl were tested in this study and salt tolerant cotton plants were established through shoot tip, cotyledonary node, and leaf node explants. Out of 800 explants tested for each varieties, 93.4 salt tolerant platnss in SVPR 2 and 68 plants in MCU 11 were obtained. The salt tolerant plants were selected between 100 mM to 175 mM of NaCl treated cultures. The maximum percentage of explants death was observed during rooting compared with multiple shoot induction and shoot elongation. The number of multiple shoot formation was also contrastingly decreased in both the varieties during salt stress. The increasing values of antioxidant enzyme activities were obtained by increasing treatment of NaCl. 147%, 290% and 362% increased CA,PO and SOD activities were observed respectively. The survival percentage of selected salt tolerant plant was 85% in the field.