Genetic Mechanisms Controlling Salt Tolerance in F3 Populations of Rice

Abstract

Salinity is a serious constraint to rice production in Niger. The release of rice cultivars with improved performance in saline environments is reliant on an understanding of genetic control of traits of plant exposed to salinity. This is vital in the choice of methods of generation advancement and evaluation. Thus, this study aims to know the genetic mechanism controlling salt tolerance in rice in Niger. One hundred and twenty F3 families derived from a full diallel cross of four parents including two tolerant and two susceptible genotypes were evaluated in farmer’s fields affected with high salt levels in two sites. The experimental design was 25×5 alpha lattice with 3 replications. Data on the duration, height, tiller number, panicle number, panicle weight, grain weight and yield were recorded. The intra-class correlation, heritability and gene action were estimated. Additive effects for tiller number, panicle number and panicle weight, additive maternal effects and partial dominance effects for height and duration were observed. The heritability was high and varied according to the site and the common parent.