Screening of Sarjoo 52 Derived M2 Population for Drought Stress by Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) at Seedling Stage in Rice

Abstract

The global population, currently at 8.2 billion, is projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, intensifying the demand for staple foods like rice. Rice cultivation, a critical component of Asian diets, requires 2000 to 5000 liters of water per kilogram, making it highly vulnerable to water scarcity. Factors such as climate change and soil conditions significantly affect rice yield. To overcome the yield loss of rice due to drought stress, we developed a mutagenized population of population of Sarjoo 52 rice. Whose screening for drought tolerance was done at the seedling stage through polyethylene glycol 6000. These lines were subjected to varying concentrations of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) 6000 5, 10, 15, 20% (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 bar) to simulate drought stress. Observations of germination percentage, shoot length, root length, and root-to-shoot length ratio were assessed using a two-factorial, completely randomized design (CRD). Among the tested lines, ten mutants (SDTC-66, SDTC-68, SDTC-20, SDTC-28, SDTC-36, SDTC-35, SDTC-65, SDTB-1, SDTB-11, and SDTB-12) exhibited superior performance, with SDTC-66 demonstrating the most robust drought tolerance across all traits. These lines showed the potential of mutant rice lines in mitigating the impact of drought on rice production and ensuring food security. These can also be used in future breeding programs after further screening.