Salinity is an agricultural problem which decreases or restricts crop production worldwide. Saline water
can be used in crop production if the yield reduction can be ameliorated. For this purpose, a
greenhouse experiment was conducted in Rasht, North of Iran to assess the effects of water salinity
levels at different growth stages of rice on yield and its components. Treatments included four levels of
saline water (2, 4, 6 and 8 dS m‒1
) and four growth stages (tillering, panicle initiation, panicle emergence
and ripening) in a completely randomized block design. The results indicate that increased salinity
significantly deceased grain yield, number of filled panicles, biomass and harvest index but effect of
salinity on straw weight, 1000-grain weight, number of tillers and plant height was not significant.
Increasing salinity decreased grain yield so that more increase in salinity showed more effect on yield
decrease. The most grain yield, that is, 23.59 g/pot, was seen at control treatment irrigated by fresh
water (at 1 dS m−1
salinity) and the least grain yield, that is, 12.59 g/pot, obtained at 8 dS m−1
salinity.
Effect of different growth stages on all yield components except number of tillers was significant.
Different growth stages showed different sensitivity to salinity. In fact, the primitive growth stages, that
is, tillering and panicle initiation showed more sensitivity to salinity than final growth stages (panicle
emergence and ripening). Therefore, irrigation with saline water at the early growth stages has more
negative effect on yield and its components.