Evaluation of Newly Developed Advanced Rice Genotypes at Reproductive Stage Under Salinity Conditions

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple food for more than half of the world’s population, its growth and productivity are continually threatened by several biotic and abiotic stresses among which salinity is one of the major hindrances. Hence, cultivating salt-tolerant rice varieties is the most effective approach to reducing the salinity problem. The rice plants were challenged against salinity at BC₂F₂ populations and the selected lines proved to be tolerant to salinity up to 8 and 10 dSm^-1, at reproductive screening. Salt stress reduced plant height, panicle length, tiller and panicle number per plant, filled grains, 1000 seeds weight, and ultimately the yield per hill. From the reproductive screening against salinity, 12 and four progenies of BC₂F₂-Binadhan-17 were tolerant up to 10 dSm^-1, and 8 dSm^-1, respectively. From this study, finally 14 Binadhan-17-Saltol advanced lines with high-yielding and salt tolerance were selected for further evaluation in the salinity-affected field. Furthermore, the developed lines are recommended for commercial cultivation in Malaysia and other rice-growing regions, especially for salt-affected rice fields.

Keywords: Rice; Salinity; Reproductive; Salt-tolerant; Varieties; Cultivation.