Exploration of relationships between physiological parameters and growth performance of rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings under salinity stress using multivariate analysis

Knowledge of relationships between physiological parameters and growth performance of seedlings and respective genotypic differences would permit selection of salt tolerance at early growth stages. The goals of this study were to investigate the relationships between physiological parameters and growth performance and quantify the respective genotypic differences using multivariate analysis.. Plants of thirty-one genotypes were grown in sand tanks in a greenhouse and irrigated with Yoshida nutrient solution. Two salinity treatments were imposed at 0.9dS m(-1) ( control) and 6.4 dS m(-1) with sodium chloride and calcium chloride (∼ 6: 1 molar ratio). Seedlings were sampled 34 days after planting (7th to 8th leaf stage). The characters of Na+, K+, Ca2+, K-Na selectivity (SK, Na) and Na-Ca selectivity (S-Na, (Ca)) were measured as physiological parameters. The characters of tiller number, leaf area, plant height and shoot dry weight were measured as growth performance. Under salinity stress, SK, Na increased whereas SNa, Ca decreased compared to the controls. Canonical correlation analysis indicates a strong relationship between physiological parameters and growth performance. Tiller number is a desirable parameter among the growth parameters analyzed to predict seedling growth under salinity stress. Genotypes grouped into four clusters based on ion contents and ion selectivity using Ward's minimum-variance cluster analysis. SK, Na and shoot Na+ content contributed the most to the cluster formation. Similarly, genotypes grouped into four clusters based on growth performance. Genotypes were classified into three categories based on ion cluster rankings: Category 1 with high SK, Na and low shoot Na+ content; Category 2 with intermediate SK, Na and shoot Na+ content; Category 3 with low SK, Na and high shoot Na+ content. The classification of the genotypes into Categories 1 and 3 based on their high or low SK, Na was generally consistent with their growth performance under salt stress. In contrast, ion selectivity was a less dominant mechanism controlling salt tolerance in Category 2 with intermediate SK, Na. It was concluded that ion selectivity was a relatively dominant mechanism controlling salt tolerance among rice genotypes although multiple mechanisms may be involved under moderate salt stress. The results also provide the first example of the effectiveness of cluster analysis for physiological responses to salinity stress.