Evaluation of salt (NaCl) tolerance in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) cultivars

<strong>Purpose:</strong> Soil salinity is a prevalent abiotic stress that adversely affects crop productivity worldwide. Salinity is an environmental stress that limits growth and development in fruits and vegetables due to increasing osmotic pressure, imbalancing of nutrients and toxicity of some special ions. Tomato (<em>Lycopersicon esculentum</em>) is one of the most important fruits and vegetables. <strong>Research method:</strong> In this study, effect of salt stress (NaCl) on eight cultivars of  tomato (king  stone, Caligen, Super Strain B, Primo Early, Early Urbana VF, Early Urbana 111, Cal-j-N3 and Peto Early CH) were investigated. Plants were cultured in hydroponic conditions with five treatments of NaCl including 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 mM. Each test has repeated three times. The growth indices, Ions, chlorophyll, soluble sugar and proline contents, were measured in roots, stems, petioles and leaves.<strong> Main findings:</strong> The results showed that, sodium and chloride contents increased in all parts of the cultivars with increasing NaCl concentration. However nitrate and potassium contents decreased. Proline and soluble sugars contents increased in leaves under salt stress too. In Primo- Early, Early Urbana 111, Cal-j-N3 and Petoearly CH, soluble sugar content increased with increasing NaCl concentration up to 90 mM. In all varieties, high salinity reduced chlorophyll a and b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids contents and growth indices. As far as the measured factors are concerned, it seems that Early Urbana VF and Super Strain B showed a high capacity to tolerate salinity stress. <strong>Limitations:</strong> No limitations were founded. <strong>Originality/Value:</strong> This is an opportunity to identify salinity-tolerant tomato cultivars that play an important role in the cultivation and production of quality crops.