Investigating physiological and biochemical

3.2.2. Materials and method 
3.2.2.1. Plant material, growth and treatment conditions 
The solution culture experiment was conducted in the rain protected wire house 
of Saline Agriculture Research Centre (SARC), 
Institute of Soil and Environmental 
Science, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. 
Healthy seeds of four linseed 
genotypes namely: S-907, C-99-3-115 (salt sensitive) and 637-72, NO-303 (salt 
tolerant) selected from the previous experiment, were sown in trays containing 
pre-washed sand. Separate trays were used for the germination of each genotype. 
Water was sprinkled daily over these trays to maintain optimum moisture contents for 
seed germination. At four leaf stage, the seedlings were wrapped with foam at root 
shoot junction, transplanted to thermo pore sheets with holes in them floating on 200 

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70 
L capacity iron tub, lined with polythene sheet containing half strength Hoagland’s 
solution (Hoagland and Arnon, 1950). Plant’s roots were aerated by bubbling air 
through the nutrient solution for 8 hours per day by air pump and the solution was 
renewed twice a week. The design of the experiment was CRD with factorial 
arrangement using three replications. After one week of transplanting, salinity levels 
(control, 100 and 200 mM) were developed with NaCl salt in three increments, 
whereas in control no salt was added. The solution pH was adjusted to 6.5±0.5 
throughout the experiment with 1 M NaOH or HCl as required. 
Growth parameters
 
3.3.2.2 Measurements of plant growth and biomass 
 
Plant growth was measured in terms of measuring fresh and dry weights of roots 
and shoots of linseed genotypes. For the determination of dry weight, plants were 
separated into roots and shoots and dried at 65 ± 5℃ for 48 hours.