Germination test, seedling growth, and physiochemical traits are used to screen okra varieties for salt tolerance

Excess soil salinity is a major stress factor that inhibits plant growth, development, and production. Among the growth stages, seed germination is particularly susceptible to salt stress. Okra, a nutraceutical vegetable, has a low germination percentage. Literature has revealed genetic diversity in okra, which can be studied to develop salt-tolerant varieties. This study examined the salt tolerance of 13 okra varieties using germination tests and then tested five varieties in pot experiments with different NaCl levels (75, 100, and 125 mM NaCl). Results showed that salt levels affected all varieties, with differential variations in stress response. Salt stress reduced agronomic, and physiochemical traits in the studied varieties. In variety "MALAV-27", the highest salt concentration significantly reduced the shoot length (68.12 %), root length (65.11 %), shoot fresh weight (78.73 %), root fresh weight (68.32 %), shoot dry weight (75.60 %), and root dry weight (75.81 %), along with different physiochemical traits. Variety "NAYAB-F1" performed the best, and maintained the highest shoot length (57.12 %), root length (58.72 %), shoot fresh weight (68.26 %), and root fresh weight (58.34 %), shoot dry weight (69.23 %), root dry weight (62.50 %), and numerous physiochemical traits such as sugar (0.74 μg/g), proline (0.51 μmol/g), and chlorophyll 'a' (7.97 mg/g), chlorophyll 'b' (9.56 mg/g). The study recommended 'NAYAB-F1', 'Arka anamika', and 'Shehzadi' as salt-tolerant varieties suitable for selection in salt-tolerant okra breeding programs.