The purpose of this study was to evaluate the salt tolerance of six varieties of forage sorghum, based on germination percentage and seedling growth subjected to six salinity levels. The treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design, according to a factorial arrangement 6 x 6 with four replications containing 25 seeds. The treatments were six varieties (V) of forage sorghum [F305 (V1), BRS 655 (V2), BRS 610 (V3), Volumax (V4), 1.015.045 (V5), 1.016.005 (V6)] and six salinity levels [0 (distilled water), 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0 and 12.5 dS m-1]. Experiment was conducted at the Laboratory of Seed Analysis of Embrapa Semiárido in August 2012. The variables assessed were percentage of germination, shoot (PA) and root (R) length, ratio PA/R, shoot and root fresh mass, shoot and root dry mass. Salinity levels did not affect the seed germination of varieties of forage sorghum until the conductivity of 10 dS m-1. The salinity levels between 3 and 5 dS m-1 favored the growth of shoots and roots, showing good tolerance to salinity of forage sorghum varieties, especially F305, Volumax and 1.015.045.
Sorghum bicolor; salinity; seedlings; tolerance
