Present work was conducted to evaluate the effect of NaCl stress on morpho-agronomic and biochemical responses of some desert grass species of Cholistan i.e. Cenchrus ciliaris, Cynodon dactylon, Cymbopogon jwarancusa, Lasiurus scindicus and Panicum antidotale. Populations of all these five grasses were taken from the RD-65 which was selected site of Cholistan desert of Pakistan. The stumps of mature plants of each species of grass were grown in the pots for the period of three months. Research work was completely in randomized design (CRD); two factors (salt levels and species) with 5 replicas of each treatment. Treatments were named as; T0 (0 mM), T1 (100 mM), T2 (200 mM) and T3 (300 mM) of NaCl levels applied were three after the intervals of seven days. Morpho-agronomic characters were noted after the completion of experiment. It was proposed that all the selected species are the halophytic grasses which were also native to the harsh climates and have some of the potential against NaCl stress. Generally, NaCl negatively affected the agro-morphic characters of Cenchrus ciliaris, Cynodon dactylon, Lasiurus scindicus and Panicum antidotale from moderate levels of salinity to higher levels of salinity 300 mM except the Cymbopogon jwarancusa where most of the characteristics showed positive effects from the salt levels of 0 mM to 300 mM. Some water-soluble phytochemicals like sugars, saponins and protein were mostly detected in aqueous while alcohol soluble was in ethanolic extracts. Flavonoids were not detected at all in the grasses by the selected methodology. Rest of the phytochemicals were increased up to the moderate levels of salinity 100 mM to 200 mM then decreased up to 300 mM of NaCl but in some grasses reveres of this has been analyzed. Some phyto-chemicals increased with the increase in the salinity.

Index-terms: Aqueous extract; Ethanolic extracts; Cholistan Desert; Cenchrus; Cynodon; Cymbopogon; Morpho-agronomic responses; NaCl stress; Lasiurus; Panicum; Phytochemicals