RESPONSE OF RICE (Oryza sativa L.) TO SALINITY STRESS AT GERMINATION AND EARLY SEEDLING STAGES.

Response of rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Osmancık-97) to eight salinity (NaCl) levels (0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 dS m^-1) was studied at germination and early seedling stages during 2013. Surface sterilized seeds were germinated at 25 ± 1°C for 14 days in a growth chamber and measurements were taken at 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 72 h for water uptake of seeds. Germination was completely arrested at 20 and 24 dS m^-1 salinity levels. While mean germination time increased with increasing salinity, water uptake, germination rate, coleoptile length and shoot length were significantly decreased. Root number, root length, shoot length, root fresh weight, root dry weight, shoot fresh weight and shoot dry weight significantly increased up to 4 to 8 dS m^-1, and then these characters were significantly decreased by increasing salinity level. It was concluded that rice cultivar viz. Osmancık-97 has tolerance up to a salinity level of 8 dS m^-1 at the germination and early seedling stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]