Salinity effects on rice, rice weeds, and strategies to secure crop productivity and effective weed control. A review.

Authors: KORRES, NICHOLAS - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA); LOKA, DIMITRA - Hellenic Agricultural Organization – Demeter; GITSOPOULOS, THOMAS - Hellenic Agricultural Organization – Demeter; VARANASI, VIJAYA - Bayer Cropscience; CHACHALIS, DEMOSTHENES - Benaki Phytopathological Institute; Price, Andrew; SLATON, NATHAN - University Of Arkansas

Submitted to: Agronomy for Sustainable Development
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/28/2022
Publication Date: 6/22/2022
Citation: Korres, N.E., Loka, D.A., Gitsopoulos, T.K., Varanasi, V.K., Chachalis, D., Price, A.J., Slaton, N.A. 2022. Salinity effects on rice, rice weeds, and strategies to secure crop productivity and effective weed control. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development. 42:58. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-022-00794-4.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-022-00794-4

Interpretive Summary: The direct and indirect effects of soil salinity on rice biochemistry, physiology and morphology negatively impair the growth, reproduction, grain yield and yield components of the crop. However, rice response to salt-stress is a quantitative trait that is influenced by several other factors including genotype, severity and extent of stress, type of tissue, as well as the stage of growth at which the stress occurs. The complexity of this important and growing problem becomes even more acute when the effects of rice weeds, that coexist with the crop at saline conditions, are taken under consideration. Although, the response of rice to salt-stress has been investigated in depth, knowledge about the potential impact of salinity on the weed community is more limited. Furthermore, synergistic mitigation options for both salinity and weed control is inadequate. Many questions need to be addressed. Other actions that deserve further consideration such as double rice cropping systems, fertilization management, use of soil amendments, water management, exogenous application of phytoprotectants or inoculation with growth promoting bacteria require more research before their adoption because it is likely that such practices would benefit the crop as well as the weeds.

Technical Abstract: The direct and indirect effects of soil salinity on rice biochemistry, physiology and morphology negatively impair the growth, reproduction, grain yield and yield components of the crop. Several studies have addressed the effect of salinity on rice grain yield and yield components and significant yield decreases observed when salinity stress was applied either at vegetative or reproductive stage. However, rice response to salt-stress is a quantitative trait that is influenced by several other factors including genotype, severity and extent of stress, type of tissue, as well as the stage of growth at which the stress occurs. It is therefore important to exploit holistically the effects of salinity on rice in parallel with the response of the crop to salt-stress in order to utilize effective short- and long-term strategies to alleviate the effects of salinity on rice. The complexity of this important and growing problem becomes even more acute when the effects of rice weeds, that coexist with the crop at saline conditions, are taken under consideration. Although, the response of rice to salt-stress has been investigated in depth, knowledge about the potential impact of salinity on the weed community is more limited. Furthermore, synergistic mitigation options for both salinity and weed control is inadequate. Many questions need to be addressed. Does salinity affect the biochemistry, physiology, growth, and population dynamics of rice weeds similarly as affects rice crops? What measures can be considered as effective against the combined effects of salinity and weed competition for rice? The use of salt-tolerant cultivars, rice transplanting systems and seed priming are all suitable options for both salinity mitigation and effective weed control. Other actions that deserve further consideration such as double rice cropping systems, fertilization management, use of soil amendments, water management, exogenous application of phytoprotectants or inoculation with growth promoting bacteria require more research before their adoption because it is likely that such practices would benefit the crop as well as the weeds.