The effect of the salinity on the germination was evaluated in four cultivars of
sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seeds. The study was carried out at the Laboratory of Botany,
Escola Superior de Agricultura de Mossoró - RN, utilizing a factorial experiment (four salinity
levels x four cultivars) arranged in a completely randomized design, with three replications of 25
seeds. There were significant differences between salinity levels and between cultivars. Germination
decreased as salinity increased. Cultivars DK-180, V-2000 and AS-243 had greater germination
than cultivar M-742.