[Correlations of shoot and root growth and its role in screening for aluminum tolerance in wheat]

A large-volume solution culture and a small-pot soil test were adopted to screen for aluminum tolerance in wheat. Significant correlations were observed between root and shoot tolerance indices in wheat genotypes by using the same or different screening method. It was also shown that root tolerance parameters such as relative root length (RRL) and relative root dry weight (RRW) had more sensitive for differentiating aluminum tolerance in wheat genotypes indicated by higher standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), and distribution of data. Although shoot tolerance parameters, such as relative shoot length (RSL) and relative shoot dry weight (RSW) had less sensitive for differentiating aluminum tolerance within wheat genotypes indicated by lower SD, CV, and distribution of data, shoot growth parameters were reliable indicators of Al tolerance because they were sufficient to discriminate Al-tolerant and Al-sensitive genotypes in wheat. Shoot growth especially shoot length could be easily, rapidly, and non-destructively determined, and used effectively to screen for aluminum tolerance in a large-scale screening or breeding program.