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ABSTRACT
The effect of increasing sodium chloride (NaCl; 0 to 300 mM) stress was investigated on plant growth, mineral nutrients, and proline accumulation in two indica rice cultivars differing in salt tolerance. The shoots and roots of ‘Karjat-3’ (salt sensitive cv.) showed greater reduction in fresh weight, dry weight, and water content under increasing salinity stress when compared to ‘Panvel-3’ (salt tolerant cv.). The magnitude of chloride (Cl) accumulation with increasing salinity varied between cultivars, with lesser accumulation in ‘Panvel-3’, whereas, calcium (Ca) content was more in ‘Panvel-3’ than ‘Karjat-3’ at all salinity levels. Increase in shoot-sodium (Na) did not show notable variation between cultivars under salinity stress; however, Na accumulation was notably lower in roots of ‘Panvel-3’ than ‘Karjat-3’. Under increasing salinity stress, ‘Panvel-3’ maintained significantly lower sodium/potassium, sodium/calcium and sodium/nitrogen ratios than ‘Karjat-3’, both in shoots and roots, with more differential response in roots. Regardless of treatment, proline concentration was considerably higher in ‘Panvel-3’ than in ‘Karjat-3’. The salt tolerance of cv. ‘Panvel-3’ was positively correlated with better growth, higher proline accumulation and enhanced uptakes of beneficial minerals such as potassium (K) and Ca.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work was supported by grant from Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences, Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India (Grant No. 2004/37/28/BRNS) to MGS and research fellowship to the first author. The authors also acknowledge the facilities used for this work at the Department of Botany, University of Pune created under UGC-ASIST and UGC-DRS-SAP programs.
