A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON FLOOD TOLERANCE OF SHORT AND TALL STATURE RICE CULTIVARS WITH Sub1 DURING SEED GERMINATION AND SEEDLING STAGE

S. BHARATHKUMAR¹*, K. JITENDRA², P.J. PRAGNYA³, G. GAYATRI⁴, B. ARCHANA⁵, R.B. SAUMYA⁶, M. MITADRU⁷, D. RAVINDRA⁸, P.P. BARADA⁹, P.M. SHAKTI¹⁰, J.N. REDDY^11
1Crop Improvement Division, ICAR-Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), Cuttack - 753 006, Odisha, India.
²Crop Improvement Division, ICAR-Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), Cuttack - 753 006, Odisha, India.
³Crop Improvement Division, ICAR-Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), Cuttack - 753 006, Odisha, India.
⁴Crop Improvement Division, ICAR-Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), Cuttack - 753 006, Odisha, India.
⁵Crop Improvement Division, ICAR-Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), Cuttack - 753 006, Odisha, India.
⁶Crop Improvement Division, ICAR-Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), Cuttack - 753 006, Odisha, India.
⁷Crop Improvement Division, ICAR-Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), Cuttack - 753 006, Odisha, India.
⁸Crop Improvement Division, ICAR-Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), Cuttack - 753 006, Odisha, India.
⁹Crop Improvement Division, ICAR-Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), Cuttack - 753 006, Odisha, India.
¹⁰Crop Improvement Division, ICAR-Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), Cuttack - 753 006, Odisha, India.
¹¹Crop Improvement Division, ICAR-Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), Cuttack - 753 006, Odisha, India.
* Corresponding Author : bharathkumar76@gmail.com

Received : 09-07-2015     Accepted : 29-09-2015     Published : 01-11-2015
Volume : 7     Issue : 7       Pages : 591 - 595
Int J Agr Sci 7.7 (2015):591-595

Keywords : Gene expression, Varshadhan, Anaerobic condition, Seed germination, Submergence tolerance
Academic Editor : Thakare H. S., Tandel Y. N., Prakash Kumar Singh
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : We sincerely thank the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), INDIA for financial support and the Director, CRRI for providing facilities to carry out this study.

In this study, rainfed lowland rice variety, Swarna and semi-deep lowland rice variety Varshadhan with Sub1 or without it were screened for submergence tolerance during seed germination and seedling stage. During seedling stage, the survival capacity was higher in Swarna-Sub1 than Varshadhan-Sub1 and however, the level expression of SUB1A gene was stronger in both cases. There was difference in the plant growth between them i.e. more in Varshadhan-Sub1 when compared to in Swarna-Sub1. In case of cultivars with no Sub1, there was more survival and less growth rate in Swarna when compared to Varshadhan. In case of submergence tolerance during seed germination, no difference was observed in seed germination in both cultivars with Sub1 or without it. But, there was difference in growth rate between Swarna and Varshadhan i.e. the growth rate was more in Varshadhan with Sub1 or without it under submergence whereas in Swarna with SUB1 was less and more in rice line with no Sub1. In gene expression analysis, expression of RAmy3C, Adh1 and Adh2 genes was found to be induce strongly in Varshadhan with Sub1 and without it under aerobic and anaerobic condition as compared to Swarna. Thus, Varshadhan with Sub1 has possessed both capacity to tolerate submergence during seed germination and seedling stage. This rice variety could be used by rice farmers who are facing problems by flash-flood at the time of seed sowing and transplanting in lowland and semi-lowland areas.