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Evaluation of salt tolerance at the seedling stage in rice genotypes by growth performance, ion accumulation, proline and chlorophyll content

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Abstract

Aims

The objectives of this study were to evaluate salt tolerance level of rice genotypes using the well-established screening criteria; the salt injury score, survival percentage and ratio between Na+ and K+, as well as the contents of proline and chlorophyll, and to identify the relationship between salt tolerance and physiological characters.

Methods

One hundred and six rice genotypes were grown in hydroponic solutions subjected to salt stress and evaluated for salt tolerance ability and the physiological parameters. Multivariate cluster analysis was performed based on salinity tolerance scores (ST scores; score 1 being the most tolerant, score 9 the most sensitive), survival percentage and Na+/K+ ratio.

Results

ST scores based on salt injury symptoms were negatively correlated with survival percentage and chlorophyll concentration in the stressed seedlings but positively correlated with Na+/K+ ratio and proline content. Rice genotypes were classified into five salt tolerance groups: tolerant (T), moderately tolerant (MT), moderately sensitive (MS), sensitive (S) and highly sensitive (HS). The means of ST scores were significantly different among the five tolerance groups indicating that the ST score was the most reliable index for identifying salt tolerance. The means of Na+/K+ ratio and proline content in stressed seedlings were distinctively different between the extreme T and HS groups, but the means among the intermediate groups (MT, MS and S) were not significantly different. Chlorophyll content, on the other hand, was not related to the levels of salt tolerance.

Conclusions

In addition to the commonly used Na+/K+ ratio, proline content is suggested to be another useful criterion to differentiate salt-tolerant from salt-sensitive rice. This study also identified several Thai improved and local cultivars with the level of salt tolerance and physiological characters comparable to Pokkali, the standard salt-tolerant donor and may be utilized as alternative sources of salt tolerance alleles.

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Abbreviations

CaC:

Chlorophyll a in the control

CaS:

Chlorophyll a in the stressed treatment

CbC:

Chlorophyll b in the control

CbS:

Chlorophyll b in the stressed treatment

CI:

Chlorophyll index

CS:

Chlorophyll content in the stressed treatment

DMRT:

Duncan’s multiple range test

HS:

Highly sensitive

MT:

Moderately tolerant

MS:

Moderately sensitive

PC:

Proline content

PI:

Proline index

PS:

Proline in the stressed treatment

RCB:

Randomized complete block

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

RWC:

Relative water content

S:

Sensitive

ST:

Salinity tolerant

T:

Tolerant

TC:

Total chlorophyll in the control

TS:

Total chlorophyll in the stressed treatment

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Dr. Teerayut Toojinda of Biotec and Dr. Suwat Jearakongman of Rice Department, Thailand for kindly providing rice seeds for this study. We are grateful for Dr. Phan Tuan Nghia for kindly reviewing the manuscript. This work was financially supported by the Ph.D. scholarship awarded to the first author from the Office of the Higher Education Commission, Ministry of Education, Thailand, and research funding from Khon Kaen University to the corresponding author and the Genomics and Proteomics Research Group for Improvement of Salt-tolerant Rice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Genomics and Proteomics Research Group for Improvement of Salt-tolerant Rice, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand

    Nantawan Kanawapee & Piyada Threerakulpisut

  2. Department of Plant Science and Agricultural Resources, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand

    Jirawat Sanitchon

  3. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand

    Watanachai Lontom

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  1. Nantawan Kanawapee
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  2. Jirawat Sanitchon
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  3. Watanachai Lontom
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  4. Piyada Threerakulpisut
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Correspondence to Piyada Threerakulpisut.

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Kanawapee, N., Sanitchon, J., Lontom, W. et al. Evaluation of salt tolerance at the seedling stage in rice genotypes by growth performance, ion accumulation, proline and chlorophyll content. Plant Soil 358, 235–249 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-012-1179-6

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