Evaluation of rice germplasm for tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses using multivariate techniques and molecular screening

Due to climate change, rice productivity and sustainability in rainfed areas have become increasingly threatened by both drought and flooding. Identifying new germplasm resources with tolerance to high and low extremes of precipitation is required to meet the impelling demand of climate-resilient varieties. To identify promising accessions with tolerance to both drought and submergence, 38 gora rice landraces along with 12 traditional cultivars and check varieties from the rainfed ecologies in eastern India were evaluated under drought and submergence stresses, both at the seedling and germination stages of the crop. The marker-based survey of nine DTY QTLs for grain yield under drought revealed that 17 accessions potentially carried multiple DTY QTLs. Most (82%) of the genotypes scored positive for Sub1A locus by SNP-based functional marker AEX1. However, their survival rate under 14 days of complete submergence varied widely (0.58–92.4%). By multivariate analysis using important traits of abiotic stress conditions, Dular and Kalakeri genotypes were identified as the most promising genotypes along with a few gora cultivars such as IC640869 and IC0640884. The promising genotypes identified in this study can be utilized as potential donors for multiple abiotic stress tolerance as well as for understanding the molecular basis of adaptation to multiple abiotic stresses.