Abstract

Rice is a worldwide cereal crop. Rice yield is severely threatened by saline and alkali stresses. A transgenic rice variety and its wild type (Nipponbare) were treated with four different levels of NaCl / Na₂CO₃ solutions to study the germination traits (germination percentage, root length, dry weight) of transgenic rice. Rice was found to be more sensitive to Na₂CO₃ than to NaCl solutions. Germination percentages declined with increasing sodium salts. When treated with 1.5% NaCl, only 40% of Nipponbare and 51% of transgenic rice could survive. The root length of Nipponbare was significantly more restricted than that of transgenic rice. Transgenic rice showed better performance at germination and early seedling growth compared to its wild type under salt and alkali stress.

Key words: Transgenic rice, saline stress, alkali stress, germination traits.