Exploring the Spectrum of Saline Tolerance in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Through a Comparative Multi-Trait Evaluation at the Seedling Stage
Sruthi S.R.1* and Anbuselvam Y2
1,2Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar- 608002 India *Corresponding author Email: sruthisampathkumar1998@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
The present study was conducted to screen ten rice genotypes from 3000 rice genome project against salt stress under normal and saline conditions during early seedling stage using a hydroponic culture system with an objective of identifying traits and genotypes affiliated with the saline tolerance mechanism that would assist with the salt stress challenge. Salt stress significantly altered associations between rice seedling growth metrics. While balanced root-shoot growth was key in normal conditions, biomass accumulation and shoot growth became more critical under salt stress. The relationship between dry matter accumulation and water content gained importance and Na+/K+ ratio emerged as a crucial factor in salt sensitivity under saline conditions. The first three principal components explained the majority of genetic variation among rice genotypes under both normal and saline conditions. The analysis revealed complex relationships between growth, biomass accumulation, ion homeostasis and water relations. The genotype IRRI 146 emerged as a promising candidate for saline breeding programs, displaying high tolerance, enhanced performance under stress for key traits, and superior performance across multiple traits, outperforming the check variety in most aspects. The genotypes ARC 10905 and GITANO were observed to be saline susceptible