Multivariate analysis of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivars for salinity tolerance at germination stage

In order to study morphological indices of alfalfa cultivars under salinity stress, an experiment was performed as factorial form under Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. Cultivar factor was contains of twenty cultivars and four levels of salinity (control, 75, 150 and 225 mM) with NaCl. Results of correlation showed that seedling length has the highest positive and significant correlation with radicle length (r=0.96**). Factor analysis based on principal component analysis showed that three independent factor, respectively 54, 17 and 14 percent of all variation data determined. The first component named seedling length and germination characteristics. The second component named germination percentage and seedling dry weight/wet weight ratio. The third component named seed vigour and seedling weight. Biplot basis on the first and second components in salinity stress condition; alfalfa cultivars to two groups divided. Biplot showed that cultivars of Bami Garmsiri, Nikshahri Garmsiri, Yazdi Garmsiri, KFA1, KFA2, KFA4, KFA5, KFA11, KFA12 and KFA16 in region with high first component was located. Therefore this cultivars had low sensitive to salinity stress and other cultivars had high sensitive to salinity stress. With attention to results this research Bami Garmsiri and KFA15 cultivars were the most tolerance and sensitive to salinity stress, respectively.