Iranian Journal of Seed Research

Extended abstract
 Introduction: One of approaches to reach sustainable agriculture is to exploit crop diversity, especially in legume species. Since Melilotus spp. (sweet clover) is a forage crop with a suitable yield especially in the marginal lands; therefore collection and characterization of this germplasm is the first effective step for its conservation and utilization in the country. Few accessions of Melilotus genetic resources had been collected in the National Plant Gene Bank of Iran, before this study.
Materials and Methods: Sweet clover genetic resources were collected all over the country using standard descriptors during two years. Twenty-six characteristics of collection sites were recorded and their descriptive statistics were estimated. The collected materials were planted in an experimental field to identify their life cycle. The seeds of collected germplasms were conserved in mid (2-4 °C)- and long (-20 °C)-terms conditions for further using.
Results: A total of 258 accessions were collected. The geographical altitude of plant origin differed from -11 m in Babolsar to 3090 m in Noor Abad in Lorestan. The materials were mostly collected from non-saline habitats. However, eight accessions were collected from mid to high salinity locations. Taxonomically, M. albus, M. officinalis, and M. indicus were identified with a number of 21, 201 and 36 accessions, respectively. M. dentatus and M. sulcatus, which have been mentioned in the former researches in Iran, were not collected in the recent study.
Conclusion: The collected germplasms from marginal lands (saline, low drainage and low fertility lands) may be tolerant to such marginal lands, therefore they can be exploited for the future research. All M. indicus species were annual; whereas there were annual as well as facultative and obligate biennial accessions in the two other species. Lack of access to M. dentatus and M. sulcatus may be an alarm that they may be threatened species in the country. Collected materials in this study along with the former collection in the Iranian National Plant Gene Bank (80 accessions) have provided high potentials of Melilotus genetic resources for exploitation in the further.

Highlights:
1- The three-fold increase in the Melilotus germplasms in the ex-situ conservation system.
2- Alarm for M. dentatus and M. sulcatus which may be threatened with extinction in the country.

Extended Abstract
Introduction: It is obvious that all plants adopt mechanisms to control NaCl accumulation because sodium chloride is the most soluble and most abundant salt. Binweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.) is among the ten widespread noxious weeds in the world that it is reproduced by seed, horizontal lateral root, and rhizome. Because of the extensive underground root system of the bindweed with abundant buds and established root reserves, binweed competes more tolerant than crops under salinity and drought stress. More information on morphophysiological traits of binweed under salinity conditions and comparison of salinity tolerance index between germination and seedling can also be contributed to the most effective management. In order to investigate the germination and seedling growth characteristics of binweed two experiments were conducted separately under salinity stress.
Materials and Methods: Germination experiment was done in a completely randomized design with 9 levels of salinity stresses include 0 (control), 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 dS.m^-1, with four replications in the lab. The seedling experiment was performed in a random complete block design consisted of five levels of salinity (tap water, 10, 20, 30, and 40 dS.m^-1) with three replications as the pot in a non-shade greenhouse of Agricultural College of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz.
Results: The results showed that with raising salinity, percentage germination and vigure index of seed declined, but Radicle/ Plumule ratio rose. After two weeks, in response to salinity a decrease in root and shoot characteristics of the seedling was observed. Salinity stress data were fitted to a three-parameter logistic for seedling stage showed that the salinity levels higher than 7.86 dS.m^-1 led to 50 percent reduction in tolerance index. It was found that 19.84 dS.m^-1 caused 50% decrease in the tolerance index at germination stage. Sufficient tolerance index –growth stage variation in response to salinity was found which suggests that bindweed tolerance to salinity at germination stage is about 3 times more than that of seedling stage.
Conclusions: Radicle/ plumule ratio at germination stage and root lateral branches at seedling stage increased in concentrations of up to 25  and 20 dS.m^-1, respectively. It seems the maintenance of root area and branches in response to increased salinity provide an acceptable mechanism of salinity tolerance for binweed. According to the three-parameter logistic model, the salinity tolerance of bindweed at germination and seedling stages was estimated at 20 and 8 dS.m^-1, respectively.
Keywords: Logistic model, Root lateral branches, Relative water content, Salinity tolerance index
Highlights:
1 Salinity tolerance of bindweed was investigated in germination and seedling growth.
2- Salinity tolerance index was compared between germination and seedling of bindweed and was introduced a proper trait which is more effective to pointing salinity tolerance.
3- The best sigmoidal model based on salinity criterion was introduced for salt tolerance index of bindweed.