Muhammad Saeed, Md. Shah Kamal and Javed Iqbal
Department of Botany, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Climate change is adversely affecting World crop production. Climate change has intensified already existing menace of soil salinity in most of the countries. Na+ uptake is an important attribute with respect to salinity tolerance in plants. Plants which manage to keep low concentrations of Na+ in their internal environment, relative to the external environment surrounding their roots, perform better under saline conditions. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) involved in salinity tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa) were identified by using an F2 population derived from the cross of IR - 36 (salt sensitive) and Pokkali (salt tolerant). Plant material was evaluated under normal and saline conditions and data for biochemical traits and grain yield were collected at the maturity stage. A major locus controlling Na+ uptake was identified on chromosome 7 with a phenotypic variance explained (R2) value of 72.57%. This was a novel QTL not reported previously. Associated marker with this QTL was RM248. Allele from salt tolerant parent, Pokkali, was responsible for an increase in Na+ uptake. This QTL may be a good candidate for marker-assisted selection (MAS) to develop salt tolerant rice cultivars with potential to give stable yield under climate change scenario.
Keywords: Salinity, quantitative trait loci, rice, Na+ uptake.