Prospects of breeding for salt tolerance in rice

Variations with regard to salt tolerance were observed in rice varieties, Blue bonnet, IR-8, Jhona-349, and Magnolia. Crosses (F1) between relatively salt-resistant (Jhona-349) and salt-sensitive (Magnolia) varieties were highly resistant to salinity. The F2 population resulted in some salt-resistant combinations. In the F3 and F4 populations, some desirable salt-resistant progenies were selected. Results obtained suggest that selection for salt tolerance may be possible within hybrid populations.