Germination Response of Released Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Varieties to Salt Stress

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most important fruit vegetables that produced in vast areas in the world including Ethiopia. Many crop plants including tomatoes are susceptible to high salinity and it is considered as among the major abiotic factors limiting its production and productivity in Ethiopia. High salt level of irrigation water may induce a reduction and delay of germination and other germination parameters. The present study was conducted to assess germination responses of 14 tomato varieties to six different salinity levels. Evaluation of the varieties for salt tolerance was carried out in laboratory in 2018. Each treatment was replicated three times and arranged in Randomized Complete Block Design in factorial arrangement. Germination percentage, germination index, germination speed and seedling vigor were measured. All the traits showed significant decrease (P