EFFECT OF POTASSIUM CHLORIDE ON GROWTH AND ACCUMULATION OF METAL MICRONUTRIENTS IN RICE SEEDLINGS GROWN HYDROPONICALLY

Abstract

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to observe the effect of potassium chloride (KCl) on rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Hitomebore). The plants were grown up to 14 days after treatments (DAT), with 0, 10, 20 and 30 mM KCl. It was observed that the rice seedlings were highly sensitive to KCl salinity, especially on producing toxicity symptoms and growth reduction. Iron concentration though increased significantly in shoot with increasing KCl concentration in the medium, it however, decreased in the root at the 30 mM KCl treatment. Manganese and Cu concentration decreased both in shoot and root at the 20 and 30 mM KCl treatments, however, Zn concentration decreased in shoot at the 20 and 30 mM KCl treatments. The concentration sensitivity of the metal micronutrients in shoot followed the general trends of Mn> Cu> Zn> Fe at the 20 and 30 mM KCl treatments. The K concentration increased as compared to the metal micronutrients with the increasing KCl in the medium.