ALUMINUM TOLERANCE OF DURUM-WHEAT GERMPLASM

Aluminium tolerance of Macedonian durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. conv. durum (Desf.) MacKey) germplasm was evaluated in nutrient solutions containing 0, 74 or 148 mu M of total Al. Relative root length (148 mu M A1/0 Al) of various genotypes ranged from 41 to 72% (from moderately sensitive to moderately tolerant to Al). No genotype with Al tolerance close to that of very tolerant T. aestivum cultivar Atlas-66 was found. Seed Ca concentration was positively (r = 0.64, P less than or equal to 0.05) and seed Fe concentration negatively (r = - 0.71, P less than or equal to 0.05) related to the relative root growth. Such a significant correlation was not obtained for seed concentrations of other nutrients or seed protein content.