Evaluating Drought Tolerance in Rice through In-Vitro PEG Screening and Analysing the Effectiveness of drought Tolerant Traits through Correlation

Author: Ashwin Bernald G., N.B. John Kingsly, Gokul M., Ramchander S., Joseph P.A. and Dinesh Kumar P.

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Abstract

Rice is considered a staple food for half of the world's population, is notably vulnerable to a spectrum of abiotic stresses, with drought ranking among the most formidable challenges due to its detrimental impact on yield. Evaluating drought tolerance in field conditions is a labour intensive and time consuming process. Consequently, an alternative approach involves the use of polyethylene glycol to artificially induce drought. The main aim of this study was to identify rice genotypes that exhibit early-stage drought tolerance from a pool of 95 genotypes. To accomplish this, polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) was harnessed as an artificial inducer of drought stress, facilitating the examination of a diverse range of rice genotypes. The experimental protocol was executed under a Completely Randomised Design (CRD) with four distinct PEG concentrations and three replications. As PEG solution concentrations escalated from the control (0%) to 15%, 20%, and 25%, the examined traits encompassing germination percentage, shoot length, root length, seedling fresh weight, seedling dry weight, total seedling length, relative water content and seedling vigour index experienced significant reductions. Subsequent correlation analysis illuminated strong positive relationships among these traits under the imposed stress conditions. This research not only enhances our understanding of trait interactions during drought stress but also provides valuable insights for the potential refinement of drought-tolerant rice cultivars.

Keywords

Rice, Drought, Polyethylene glycol (PEG), Correlation

Conclusion

In the present study, the traits responsible for early stage drought screening have been identified. These intricate correlations among the traits unveil the complex interplay between different traits under varying conditions, providing valuable insights into the rice seedlings' adaptability to stress. The traits under study have strong positive correlation among them and showed significant results. Thus, these traits have the potential to serve as a valuable tool in the selection process within breeding programs and to aid in the identification of early stage drought tolerant genotypes. Identifying lines displaying greater variability among the traits, particularly those strongly correlated with drought resistance, can serve as valuable parent candidates in breeding programs aimed at developing varieties capable of withstanding drought conditions.

References

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How to cite this article

Ashwin Bernald G., N.B. John Kingsly, Gokul M., Ramchander S., Joseph P.A. and Dinesh Kumar P. (2023). Evaluating Drought Tolerance in Rice through In-Vitro PEG Screening and analysing the effectiveness of drought tolerant traits through correlation. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(9): 415-423.