Use of trehalose to alleviate salinity stress in rice at the reproductive stage

Salinity affects the growth of rice at all growth stages and can reduce productivity around the world, while the use of phytoprotectants is used to alleviate salt stress in plants. The study aims to determine the effects of the use of exogenous trehalose on a variety of characteristics of three lowland rice cultivars, namely IN35, CNT1 and PT1, under salt stress. Research Method: Salinity was simulated by using sodium chloride (NaCl) and added to the rice from seedling to harvest stage. The effects of trehalose at four concentrations on rice under salt stress were evaluated by determining some physical and biochemical properties at the reproductive stage and agronomic traits at the harvest stage. The effects of trehalose supplementation in rice were observed only when chlorophyll (Chl) A was increased above 100 mM trehalose. Exogenous trehalose promoted increase in percentage of filled grains per panicle and grain yield per plant from 50 mM trehalose and harvest index from 100 mM trehalose. There were effects of variety on almost all characteristics, including relative water content (RWC), Chl A, Chl B, total Chl, proline content, soluble sugar and starch content in leaves, with IN35 having higher values than CNT1 and PT1. In addition, IN35 had higher values than CNT1 and PT1 for 6 out of 8 agronomic characteristics. The study is one of the few studies to report on the effect of appropriate concentrations of exogenous phytoprotactants on the growth of rice in the reproductive phase under saline conditions.