Impact of salt stress on biochemical processes in rice seedlings

Abstract

Rice is generally characterized as a salt-sensitive crop (Flowers and Yeo, 1981) [11]. But there are large number of varieties that show variations in salt tolerance (Datta, 1972; Yeo and Flowers, 1982) [6, 44]. The response of four rice genotypes against 0, 8, and 12 dSm-1 salinity levels were studied at the early seedling growth stage. Data were analyzed statistically for Protein metabolism and Enzyme activities. Salinity decreased the protein content, peroxidase, and catalase activity but increased protease activity, proline content, and amino acids in all genotypes and the magnitude of reduction increased with increasing salinity stress. Rice genotypes Kishori, Rajshree, Marcha and Jeeravati showed greater salt tolerance and susceptibility during germination. Kishori and Rajshree are tolerant and Marcha & Jeeravati are susceptible rice genotypes against salt stress. The result suggested that Kishori, Rajshree, Marcha, and Jeeravati might be used for further study of the salinity effect on growth processes and its physiological consequences at an advanced stage of growth.