Performances of Six Rice Varieties in Coastal Saline Soil of Bangladesh

Abstract

Salinity poses a signifcant barrier to rice cultivation in the coastal areas of Bangladesh, necessitating the identifcation of salttolerant rice varieties. To address it, this study systematically evaluated the performance of six rice varieties: BRRI dhan28, BRRI dhan47, BRRI dhan67, Heera hybrid, Violet rice, and Black rice, under typical coastal saline soil conditions. Te experiment followed a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications, a unit plot size 12 m2 (4 × 3 m), and a 40-cm gap between the plots. Te experimental feld had silty-clay-loam saline soil (EC: 8.7–11.4 dS m−1 ). Among the six varieties, all except Black rice survived to maturity. BRRI dhan28 was the tallest at harvest, Heera hybrid produced the most tillers and biomass, and BRRI dhan67 set the heaviest grains. Panicle and grain numbers peaked in Heera Hybrid, achieving the highest grain (6.38 t ha−1 ), straw (7.82 t ha−1 ), and biological yields. Heera Hybrid assimilated the maximum N (37.1 kg ha−1 ) and K (25.2 kg ha−1 ), whereas BRRI dhan67 led in P (18.2 kg ha−1 ), S (18.4 kg ha−1 ), and Na (15.1 kg ha−1 ). Straw and grain yields strongly correlated with the biological yield (R2: 0.96 and 0.91, respectively), flled-grain number (R2 � 0.83), and nutrient uptake (N: R2 � 0.88; K: R2 � 0.80; P: R2 � 0.74). According to PCA, PC1 (69.1%) primarily explained variation in biomass and nutrient traits, while PC2 (9.8%) refected differences in grain weight and plant structure. Overall, the Heera hybrid is suitable for rice cultivation in saline-prone coastal regions and can improve food security under salinity stress.