View article

The study evaluated the effect of proline on germination and seedling growth of two Malaysian rice cultivars (MR220 and MR232) under salt stress. The exposure of rice seeds to increasing concentration of NaCl (0, 100, 200, 300 and 400 mM) had drastically affected germination (%), root and shoot length (mm), chlorophyll content and protein content. It is evident from the result of inhibition in germination rate, reduction in root and shoot length, chlorophyll content and protein content. However, several studies have shown that exogenous application of proline has ameliorated the negative effect of salt stress by regulating cellular osmotic balance. The present study has demonstrated that rice seeds pretreated with proline (1mM, 5mM and 10mM) and grown at different NaCl concentrations counteracted the adverse effect of salt. Pretreatment of proline at a concentration of 1mM was found to be effective and stimulated cellular activities, whereas 10mM proline was ineffective in improving plant growth under high level of salt (300 and 400mM NaCl).