Phenotyping and QTL-linked marker-based genotyping of rice lines with varying level of salt tolerance at flowering stage

Rice is sensitive to salinity stress at early seedling and reproductive stages. Surprisingly, major QTL/gene responsible for salinity tolerance at flowering stage is yet to be identified, mainly due to unavailability of suitable donors. In this investigation, a set of eight genotypes were phenotyped for grain yield and various yield attributing traits as influenced by salt-stress (EC= 8 dS m⁻¹) at flowering stage and subsequently genotyped by using microsatellite markers associated with known QTLs for salt tolerance in rice. One Pokkali and two Chettivirippu accessions were found tolerant to moderately tolerant. These genotypes were genetically distant from the susceptible variety, Swarna indicating the scope of deducing novel QTLs for salttolerance at flowering stage.