Comparison of the salt tolerance of perennial ryegrass during seed germination and seedling growth

The salt tolerance of six Lolium perenne varieties during seed germination, seedling growth, and the establishment stage under different temperatures was investigated. The results showed that temperature, variety, salt concentration, and their interaction affected plant response to salt stress. Moreover, plant salt tolerance varied with seedling growth stage, regardeless of variety and incubation conditions.The relative germination rate, germination index, root length, seedling length, biomass, and density decreased with increasing salt concentrations. Salt tolerance was highest at 15/25 ℃(12 h light/12 h dark), whereas 5/15 ℃ and 25/35 ℃ aggravated salt stress. Use of the subordinate function method for comprehensive evaluation and comparison indicated that the best variety is Gray star, and the worst is Neruda.