Investigating physiological and biochemical

Study 4 
3.4: Effect of salt stress on yield and oil contents of linseed 
3.4.1. Introduction 
Pakistan, the sixth most populous country in the world (U.S. 2008), has 
predominantly an agrarian economy. But despite this fact, it has been chronically 
deficient in edible oil production.
Linseed (Linum uistatissimum L) is one of the most important oilseed crops for 
the extraction of oil (from seeds) and fibers (from plant’s stems). In India 80% of the 
linseed oil goes for the industrial purpose and remaining 20% is used for edible 
purpose (Khan et al., 2007). To meet the edible oil demands of the country, it is the 
need of the day to bring marginal lands under oil seed crops by screening and 
breeding the salt tolerant oil seed crops which are better able to grow on salt -affected 
soils than currently available (Tanveer-ul-Haq et al., 2002). Linseed, while a minor 
crop, is grown in a wide range of countries, climates and for many different products 
(Ebtihal et al., 2012). Because of its adaptability and product diversity, it is being 
considered as a platform for the development of novel bio-products. Research on use 
of linseed for bio-product production is being conducted in Australia, North America, 
Europe and Asia. In 2009, the top producers of linseed were Canada, India and China, 
with 45% of world production being in Canada (FAO, 2009). In Pakistan, linseed is 
grown on marginal and sub-marginal lands under irrigated as well as rain-fed 
conditions of Punjab and Sindh provinces.
Although direct screening based on grain yield takes more time, is laborious and 
expensive, the evaluation of salt tolerance of genotypes based on final grain yield is 
necessary before any recommendation can be made with regard to the authenticity of 
reliable different traits as screening criteria or recommendation of selected genotypes 
for using a good donor to increase the salt tolerance for linseed genotypes in breeding 
programs. The agronomic and physiological traits may be important not only to be 
used as quick and easy screening criteria if they would be closely associated with 

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grain yield of genotypes (Noble and Rogers, 1992; Munns and James, 2003), but also 
to improve the salt tolerance that needs a better understanding of salt tolerance
mechanisms of linseed genotypes. In this study, therefore, genotypic differences for 
salt tolerance were identified among genotypes on the grain yield and agronomic 
parameters at maturity stage; grain yield was used as a reference to determine validity 
of physiological traits as screening criteria for salt tolerance of linseed genotypes. 
Keeping in view the above scenario, a pot experiment was conducted to achieve 
the following objectives:
1. To assess the effects of salt stress on yield attributes of linseed
2. To evaluate the effects of salt stress on oil contents of linseed