A complete set of diallel cross experiments was conducted involving six sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) inbred lines under non-saline and saline soil conditions during 1992-1994. The inbreds were selected on the basis of their salt tolerance and included two salt tolerant, two moderately tolerant and two salt sensitive lines. The experiments, which included the parents and their F1 and F2 generations under non-saline and saline soil conditions, were repeated in subsequent years. It was observed that additive and non-additive gene effects were frequent over the environments. Cytoplasmic inheritance was more pronounced under saline than under non-saline conditions. The performance of inbreds and their combinations was variable under the different environments. GIMSUN-856 invariably exhibited high general combining ability in both, non-saline and saline sotls. Similarly, the reciprocal combination GIMSUN-790 x GIMSUN-630 remained immutable under different soil conditions. Direct crosses between moderately tolerant and sensitive lines were promising under saline conditions and so were reciprocal crosses between moderately tolerant and tolerant lines. Direct and reciprocal crosses showed more promise under non-saline and saline soils, respectively. It appeared that salt tolerance potential was contributed more by the male than by the female parent.