Comparison of the Yield of Different Rice Varieties Treated with l-Ascorbic Acid on Site-Specific Saline Soil

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We conducted a comparative study of the effect of vitamin C (l-ascorbic acid) treatment on the yield of selected rice varieties grown in site-specific saline soil; the study area was Paluh Merbau, which is situated on the east coast of North Sumatra and has a salinity of 5.9 dS/m. Salinity causes osmotic, salt-specific, and oxidative stress, which negatively affects crop yields. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of l-ascorbic acid treatment on the yield parameters of eight varieties of rice grown on saline soil. This study was based on a randomized block design with two factors. The first factor was the rice variety (Ciherang, IR 64, Lambur, Batanghari, Banyuasin, IR 42, Inpara 10, and Margasari), and the second factor was the concentration of l-ascorbic acid (0, 500, 1,000, or 1,500 mg/L). The number of empty grains per panicles, grain weight per clump, and number of filled grains per panicles increased as the concentration of l-ascorbic acid increased. l-Ascorbic acid at a concentration of 1,500 mg/L exhibited the best results, and the grain weight of Banyuasin and Batanghari varieties was 33.22 and 30.18 g, respectively; however, there was no significant difference in grain weight between the varieties. Batanghari and Ciherang were the most salt-tolerant genotypes, with a high ability to produce high number of filled grains compared to other varieties. l-Ascorbic acid treatment can promote the yields of rice varieties grown under salinity stress.