Many experiments have demonstrated the adverse effects of salinity on potato growth and tuber output. We evaluated the differential responses among four potato cultivars subjected to salinity stress using NaCl in vitro. Shoot cultures of the tested cultivars were grown in Murashige-Skoog media amended with 30 mM NaCl, with or without CaCl2. For the former, this was achieved by adding CaCl2 up to 4 mM. The Dark Red Norland cultivar was the most sensitive to NaCl while the Superior cultivar recorded the best plantlet height, number of roots, and fresh weight in 30mM NaCl + 3mM CaCl2 solution compared with normal conditions (0 NaCl + 3 mM CaCl2). The stress susceptibility index indicated that the Russet Burbank and Superior cultivars were the most tolerant to salinity. Additionally, the presence of CaCl2 reduced the harm due to NaCl stress. CaCl2 showed a clear effect in alleviating the effect of saline stress, but its effect differed between the tested cultivars. The correlation coefficient between the studied traits and susceptibility index to salt stress indicated that plantlet height and survival % could reliably indicate the salinity stress tolerance of the tested genotype before the start of an expanded breeding program.

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