Evaluation of Rice Genotypes for Salinity Tolerance at Reproductive Stage Using Phenotypic and Molecular Markers

Rice is the single largest source of food energy for more than half of the world’s population. Salinity may be a serious environmental constraint to crop production. Salinity screening of twenty rice genotypes were performed at the reproductive stages, in the net house of department of PMB&GE. Phenotyping of the genotypes was done at EC 12dS/m at reproductive stage in net house. Most desirable genotypes days to 50% flowering were IR-68144-2B-2-2-3-1-120, CSR-13, FL-478, NDR-359, AYYAR and NUD-2, SAMBHA MANSURI and MTU-1010; for plant height IR-68144-2B-2-2-3-1-127, NUD-3, NUD-2, NDRK-2008, IR-91171-66-3-2-1-3, SAMBHA MANSURI, TARAMON and MTU-1010; for panicle bearing tillers/plant FL-478, NDR-359 and SWARNA; for panicle length IR-68144-2B-2-2-3-1-127, IR-91167-99-1-1-1-3, IR-29, FL-478, NDRK-2008 and IR-92953-49-1-3; for spikelets/panicle IR-91167-99-1-1-1-3, NDRK-2008, SWARNA , IR-92953-49-1-3, IR-91171-66-3-2-1-3, IR-83668-35-2-2-2 and MTU-1010; for grains/panicle SWARNA, IR-92953-49-1-3, IR-91171-66-3-2-1-3, IR-83668-35-2-2-2, NDRK-2008 and MTU-1010 for spikelet fertility % NUD-3, IR-29, FL-478, NDRK-2008, SWARNA, IR-91171-66-3-2-1-3 and IR-83668-35-2-2-2; for test weight NUD-3, NDRK-2008, IR-29 and SWARNA for biological yield/plant AYYAR, TARAMON and NUD-3; for harvest index FL-478, IR-68144-2B-2-2-3-1-120, IR-91167-133-1-1-2-3 and NUD-2; for Na+ NUD-3 and FL-478; for K+ IR-91167-133-1-1-2-3, NDR-359 and MTU-1010; for Na+/K+ IR-68144-2B-2-2-3-1-127, IR-91167-99-1-1-1-3, NUD-3, FL-478, IR-64 and SAMBHA MANSURI; for grain yield/ plant (g) AYYAR and FL-478 were reported highly significant in mean performance for yield and its components traits. Analysis of variance, estimates of phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation, estimates of heritability and genetic advance in percent of mean were recorded for all the characters among 20 rice genotypes in saline condition. Molecular analysis with SSR markers differentiates the rice genotypes into tolerant and susceptible based on banding pattern. The tolerant rice genotypes were NUD 3, IR-68144-2B-2-2-3-166, IR68144-2B-2-2-3-1-120, IR68100-2B-2-2-3-1-127, IR-1167-31-3-1-33 and IR-91171-66-3-2-1-3 and susceptible were NDR-359, Taramon, MTU-1010, Swarna and IR-64. The identified salt tolerant genotypes can be potential germplasm sources for future breeding programmes.