Salt tolerance in natural populations ofTrifolium repensL.

Abstract
SUMMARY: The salt tolerances of plants from natural populations ofTrifolium repensL. (White Clover) growing in saline and non‐saline sites were compared by root growth tests at a range of NaCl concentrations. Plants from three salt‐marsh sites showed high or very high salt tolerance, with relatively vigorous root growth in 150–200 mM NaCl. Plants with two non‐saline inland sites showed little or no tolerance. A sea‐cliff population and plants of cv. Gwenda showed intermediate levels of tolerance at low salt concentrations. Halophytic maritime populations may‐provide material for the development of salt tolerant cultivars ofT. repens, a crop plant in which most existing cultivars are thought to be salt‐sensitive.