Lentil (Lens sp.) is an edible pulse cultivated as a staple food throughout the regions of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. It is an important dietary supplement in the Indian sub-continent. In a new study, scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) have evaluated 162 genotypes including wild accessions, landraces, breeding lines and cultivars of lentil for their salt tolerance. This was based on four broad factors. First, the morphological characteristics like germination, seedling growth, biomass accumulation, seedling survivability and salinity scores were assessed. Next, anatomical characteristics such as root and shoot anatomy were examined, followed by analysis of physiological characteristics such as Na+, Cl-, K+ concentrations. Lastly, molecular characteristics such as proline and antioxidant activities were considered. The researchers evaluated the genotypes under hydroponics, where plants are grown without soil but only mineral enriched nutrient water, and under field experiments. The study reveals that growing plants in hydroponics helps in distinguishing the salt tolerant varieties from their non-tolerant counterpart at the seedling stage. The important finding of the study was that out of the 162 genotypes studied, the wild accession ILWL-137 and the breeding line PDL-1 genotypes proved to be more salt tolerant, whereas the cultivated lines turned out to be salt sensitive. Under 120mM concentration of salt stress in the hydroponics, the wild genotypes showed thick epidermis and increased vascular bundles. This modification helps in slowing down the uptake and transport of salts such as Na+ and Cl- to the plant parts. Under stress, plants tend to produce H2O2 as a signaling molecule for defense. Decreased H2O2 production was observed in wild genotypes when compared to the other cultivars. Increased K+ and proline accumulation was observed which indicates the adjustment capacity of the plants to the salt stress. An increase in antioxidant enzyme activities, seedling growth, biomass and seedling survivability , pods and seed yield were observed. All these characters help in distinguishing a salt tolerant variety of lentil from a salt sensitive one at different stages of their growth period, i.e., seedling, vegetative, reproductive, etc. While the molecular characterization of the 162 genotypes was unsuccessful in categorizing the genotypes based on salt tolerance, the assortment helped in selecting contrasting lines for further studies on improving salt tolerance in lentil. These findings help in selection of the right characteristics of salt tolerance and for incorporating them in cultivated genotypes through conventional breeding or genetic engineering.