Abstract:In order to investigate the effects of different salt and alkali stresses on seed germination of Leymus chinensis, wild L. chinensis seeds were used as experimental materials. Three types of salt and alkali stress were applied, namely NaCl solution, NaHCO3 solution and a mixed solution of NaHCO3+ Na2CO3, each with six Na+ concentrations(50, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 mmol/L). Distilled water treatment was used as the control. The germination rate, germination potential, germination index, radicle length and plumule length of L. chinensis seeds were measured to reveal the effects of different types of salt and alkali stress on seed germination. The results showed that, under the same type of stress and different Na+ concentrations, the germination rate and germination potential of L. chinensis seeds decreased with increasing Na+ concentration, the germination index first increased and then decreased, and both radicle length and plumule length decreased as Na+ concentration increased. Under different pH treatments, the average germination rate and germination potential of L. chinensis seeds showed a decreasing trend with increasing pH. Compared with pH 7.00(NaCl), treatments at pH 8.50(NaHCO3) and pH 9.36 (NaHCO3+Na2CO3) significantly reduced the average germination rate, average germination potential and average radicle length. However, no significant differences were observed in average germination rate, average germination potential, average germination index, average radicle length and average plumule length between pH 8.50 and pH 9.36 treatments. Two-factor ANOVA indicated that salt-alkali type, Na+ concentration and their interaction had extremely significant effects on germination rate, germination index and radicle length; salt–alkali type and Na+ concentration had extremely significant effects on germination potential and plumule length, and their interaction had a significant effect on plumule length.