Utilizing Stress Tolerance Index and Principal Component Analysis for Rice Selection in Hydroponic Drought Screening Based on Physiological Traits

Abstract

The environment and selection criteria are critical during the seedling phase of artificially hydroponic drought screening.Notably, the selection environment is intricately linked to the chosen selection criteria.Physiological parameters, which offer precise insights into genotype performance, must be complemented by rigorous statistical analyses.In this study, the stress tolerance index (STI) and principal component analysis (PCA) were instrumental in defining the optimal selection environment for rice under hydroponic drought conditions.This research was conducted at the screen house using a nested and randomized block design, whereby replications were nested in the level of drought stress.Three levels of drought stress were applied across eight rice varieties, each with three replications.Physiological observations especially photosynthetic characteristics were observed.The results demonstrated that STI and PCA are effective tools for screening rice genotypes for drought tolerance under hydroponic conditions.The character of solar radiation, including absorption and transmission, is used as a correction for the chlorophyll character.The STI under 10% PEG stress predicted tolerance under 20% PEG stress with a high determination coefficient (R = 0.76).Thus, a 10% PEG concentration is recommended as the selection environment for hydroponic drought screening at the seedling stage.These findings have significant implications for developing drought-tolerant rice varieties, which are crucial for ensuring global food security in the face of climate change.

Access to Document

Other files and links

• Link to publication in Scopus
• Open Access Version Available

Fingerprint