Changes of Rice Sodium Content due to Sodium Exclusion and Transpiration under Salinity

The relationship between sodium contents of tops and transpiration rates was studied in two rice varieties with different sodium exclusion rates in roots; Kala-Rata1-24(KR1;low exclusion rate) and IR28 (high exclusion rate). Seedlings at 7th leaf stage grown in culture solution were subjected to saline water(100mM sodium chloride) and transpired for 12 hours. Various transpiration rates were obtained under different humidity, light intensity and temperature conditions. Transpiration stream concentration factor of Na+ (TSCFNa+), which denotes the sodium exclusion rate in the root, decreased with increase in the transpiration rate under different humidity and light intensity conditions. On the other hand, TSCFNa+ was lower in KR1 than in IR28 under different temperature conditions. There were no different in the sodium exclusion rates at high transpiration rates. Sodium contents of tops initially increased with the transpiration rates but afterwards decreased with the transpiration rates. Sodium contents of tops were higher in KR1 than in IR28 at low transpiration rates under high humidity and low light intensity conditions, but it was higher in IR28 under low temperature conditions. There were no varietal differences in the sodium contents of tops at high transpiration rates. These results indicated that the varietal differences in sodium exclusion rates were detectable at low transpiration rates and affected the sodium contents of tops, but there were no differences in the sodium contents of tops at high transpiration rates.