Abstract
The ever-increasing demand for rice raises the need to increase productivity by using salt tolerant varieties on saline soils. In this study, 12 rice accessions were screened for tolerance to salt at seedling stage using morphological and molecular methods. The study was carried out in a hydroponic system using Hoagland solution. Scoring was done using the modified standard evaluation score (SES) system after 14 days of treatment. Salt tolerance indices were estimated from shoot length, root length and total biomass. For molecular studies, ten Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) primers linked with salt tolerance Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) were used. Results showed greater reductions in biomass and shoot growth of susceptible accessions compared to the tolerant ones. The effect of salt stress on root length showed variability among accessions as well as concentrations. UPIA 1, UPIA 2, FARO 52, FARO 61, TOG 5681 and FARO 44 had similar banding patterns with POKALLI (check variety) suggesting that they may contain salt tolerance genes. Of these accessions, only POKALLI and UPIA 2 survived all levels of salt concentration tested and thus got the highest SES score of one. Both accessions also had the highest overall mean salt tolerance indices. In conclusion, based on SES scores, salt tolerance indices and SSR data, POKALLI and UPIA 2 were identified as highly tolerant, FARO61, FARO 52, UPIA 1 and TOG 5980A as tolerant while WITA 12, CG12, TOG1670, TOG 5681 and TOG 5485 were highly susceptible. Such information will be useful in the selection of parents as breeding lines for salt tolerance. Key words: Rice, seedling stage, hydroponics, salt tolerance index, simple sequence repeats (SSR) primers.  
Highlights
Rice is one of the most important and universally accepted food crops, providing over 20% of human dietary energy and serving as a staple crop for millions of people globally (Calpe, 2006)
The mean effects of the different salt concentrations on shoot length, root length and biomass for all the twelve rice accessions are as shown in Figures 1 to 3
Root length increased with salt concentration in all accessions except for POKALLI, UPIA 1, UPIA 2, FARO 52 TOG 55980-A and TOG 16704 where it showed irregular variations across the salt concentrations
Summary
Rice (mainly Oryza sativa L. and Oryza glaberrima Steud.) is one of the most important and universally accepted food crops, providing over 20% of human dietary energy and serving as a staple crop for millions of people globally (Calpe, 2006). Its production is limited by salinity, which has been recognized as the second most widespread soil problem in rice growing countries, after drought (Gregorio et al, 1997). **Long grain, optimum production under low management. **High yielding, tolerant to iron toxicity and drought **Early maturity, high yielding, long grain, tolerance to iron toxicity and African gall midge. **High yielding, long grain, tolerance to iron toxicity and African gall midge. **Tolerant to salt toxicity **Early germination, high yielding and tolerant to anaerobic germination.
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