Abstract
Salt stress is considered one of the most serious problems reducing the agricultural productivity. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of foliar treatment of trehalose either separately or in combinations with salt stress on growth, grain yield and some biochemical constituents of four wheat cultivars (Giza 168, Gemiza-10, sids-12 and Sakha 94). Results revealed that, irrigation of wheat plants with sodium chloride (200 Mm) caused reduction in all growth parameters, yield components and some anatomical features of the leaves, particularly in the most sensitive cultivars (Giza 168 & Sads 12) but these parameters were non significantly effect in the other cultivars (Gemiza 10 & Sakha 94) which considered tolerant cultivars. In addition, amino acid and sugar fraction of the shoots of wheat cultivars showed significantly increased in all cultivars under salt stress. The most pronounced increases were recorded in the tolerant cultivars (Gemiza 10 & Sakha 94). Also, total carbohydrates and total soluble protein contents of the yielded grains were significantly decreased, but endogenous trehalose content was significantly increased under salt stress particularly in the sensitive cultivars. Treating wheat plants with 10 inM trehalsoe mitigate the adverse effect of salt stress and led to obvious increases in all the mentioned parameters, either in non stressed and salt stressed plants as compared with control plants. Based on the obtained results, trehalose can be used as effective osmportectant in alleviating the deleterious effect of salt stress in wheat plants.