Efficacy of reduced rate fumigant alternatives and methyl bromide against soilborne pathogens and weeds in western forest nurseries

Preplant soil fumigation is commonly used to control soilborne pathogens and weeds in forest seedling nurseries of Oregon and Washington. However, lower chemical inputs are desired to meet state and federal application regulations, to minimize buffer zone size requirements, and to help protect the environment. Therefore, the objectives of this research were to evaluate the efficacy of three reduced rate soil fumigants under totally impermeable film (TIF) in managing soilborne diseases and weeds, and to determine if combined applications of up to four biocontrol agents improved soilborne disease control. Reduced rates of methyl bromide, metam sodium, and 1,3-dichloropropene, all applied in combination with chloropicrin, were effective in decreasing soil populations of Pythium and Fusarium as well as the presence of Pythium in root debris from the previous crop. The roots of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) seedlings transplanted into each fumigant treatment were also colonized less by Pythium and Fusarium than those transplanted into nonfumigated control plots. However, biocontrol treatments were not effective against either pathogen. Weed biomass and weeding times were also significantly reduced by fumigation. Application costs were similar for all three fumigant treatments, but seedling size was largest from the methyl bromide and metam sodium treatments followed by the 1,3-dichloropropene treatment. Based on the results of this study, reduced rates of methyl bromide, metam sodium, and 1,3-dichloropropene show promise in managing soilborne diseases and weeds in forest nurseries.     

水稻栽培技术措施对稻米品质的影响

稻米品质与水稻栽培技术措施是否得当有着直接关系,稻米已成为人们生活中的主食,其质量关系到人们的生活质量,因此必须解决水稻栽培技术对稻米品质的影响。研究表明,早育苗早插秧可提高精米率,降低整精米率而提高糊化温度、粗蛋白质、使胶稠度变硬。晚育苗,晚插秧,则稻米品质结果则相反。插秧方式过密、株行距过小,会导致糙米率、精米率、整精米率下降,垩白率增加,直链淀粉含量及胶稠度有所提高,蛋白质含量下降而米质变差。科学施肥既能提高稻米外观品质,又能改善食味品质,防治杂草及防治病虫害是提高稻米品质的重要技术措施,灌溉水质关系到稻米品质的优劣,收获时期与方法、仓储技术都会对稻米品质产生一定的影响。因此水稻栽培技术对稻米品质的影响不容忽视。本文从水稻育苗、移栽、施肥、除草、防治病虫、灌溉、收获、仓储等技术措施,对稻米品质影响加以简述,仅供生产优质稻米参考。     

多效唑对水稻的生物效应及其应用

 多效唑(Multi-Effect Triazole,MET)是一种新型植物生长延缓物质,对水稻(Oryza sativa L.)生长有明显的控制作用,主要表现于减缓稻苗生长速度和抑制节间伸长;其伴生效应有:促进秧苗分蘖与根系生长,减轻水稻移栽后败苗,增进稻株本田期早发增蘖以及防止水稻成熟期间倒伏。可应用于控制连作晚稻秧苗徒长,调节稻作茬口安排;以及减轻因倒伏引起的产量与品质的下降。多效唑对水稻生长的控制效应受气温、氮素施用量以及土壤水分影响;多效唑具有增强气孔抗阻、降低叶面蒸腾等生理作用,并增强稻苗吲哚乙酸氧化酶活性。     

Ecological studies on Echinochloa crus-galli and the implications for weed management in direct-seeded rice

Echinochloa crus-galli, a C₄ grass, is one of the world’s most serious weeds. Weed management decisions for this species can be derived from knowledge of its seed biology. Studies were conducted to determine the effects of light on germination; seed burial depth and rice residue on emergence and growth; and flooding time and depth on emergence, survival and growth of this species. Light stimulated seed germination but it was not an absolute requirement for germination. The proportion of seeds germinating was greatest for seeds placed on the soil surface (92%), and emergence declined with increasing burial depth in soil; no seedlings emerged from the depth of 8 cm. A burial depth of only 0.4 cm reduced seedling emergence by 50%. Seedling emergence and seedling biomass were reduced by the addition of high level (6 ton ha⁻¹) of rice residue to the soil surface. Early and deep flooding significantly suppressed growth of E. crus-galli seedlings. In flooded conditions, with increased water depth the weed allocated more biomass to shoots at the expense of roots. The information gained from this study could contribute to improve weed control approaches. Soil inversion by tillage to bury weed seeds below their maximum depth of emergence, use of crop residue as mulch and early flooding of the crop could serve as important tools for managing E. crus-galli and other weed species with similar germination requirements. These management options, however, would need to be compatible with other crop management requirements.     

Efficacy of Bacillus subtilis MBI 600 Against Sheath Blight Caused by Rhizoctonia solani and on Growth and Yield of Rice

Rice sheath blight disease(ShB),caused by Rhizoctonia solani,gives rise to significant grain yield losses.The present study evaluated the efficacy of Integral?,the commercial liquid formulation of Bacillus subtilis strain MBI 600,against rice ShB and for plant growth promotion.In greenhouse studies,four log concentrations of Integral(from 2.2×106 to 2.2×109 cfu/mL) were used as seed treatment(ST).After 25 d,seedlings were dipped(SD) into Integral prior to transplanting.At 30 d after transplanting(DAT),leaf sheaths were inoculated with immature sclerotia of the pathogen.At 45 DAT,a foliar spray(FS) with Integral was applied to some treatments.The fungicide control was 50% carbendazim at 1.0 g/L,and a nontreated control was also included.Overall,there were 10 treatments,each with five replications.ShB severity was rated at 52 DAT,and seedling height and number of tillers per plant were rated at 60 DAT.In 2009,two field trials evaluated Integral at 2.2×108 and 2.2×109 cfu/mL.Integral was applied as ST,and seedlings were produced in a nursery bed.After 32 d,seedlings were treated with Integral as SD and transplanted into 10 m2 blocks.Foliar sprays were given at 45 and 60 DAT.There were seven treatments,each with eight replications arranged as a factorial randomized complete block design.At 20 DAT,the plots were broadcast inoculated with R.solani produced on rice grains.Seedling height before transplanting,ShB severity at 90 DAT,and grain yield at harvest were recorded.Integral at 2.2×109 cfu/mL provided significant increase of seedling heights over other treatments under greenhouse conditions.The Integral treatments of ST + SD + FS at 2.2×109 cfu/mL significantly suppressed ShB over other treatments.In field studies,Integral provided significant increase of seedling height in nursery,and number of tillers per plant,compared with the control.ShB severity was significantly suppressed with higher concentrations of Integral compared to lower concentrations.Grain yield were the highest at an Integral concentration of 2.2×109 cfu/mL.Overall,Integral significantly reduced ShB severity,enhanced seedling growth,number of tillers per plant and grain yield as ST + SD + FS at the concentration of 2.2×109 cfu/mL under the conditions evaluated.     

Peptide Transporter OsNPF8.1 Contributes to Sustainable Growth under Salt and Drought Stresses,and Grain Yield under Nitrogen Deficiency in Rice

Peptide transport is important for plant tissues where rapid proteolysis occurs, especially during germination and senescence, to enhance redistribution of organic nitrogen (N). However, the biological role of peptide transporters is poorly investigated in rice. We characterized the function of the peptide transporter OsNPF8.1 of rice nitrate transporter 1/peptide transporter family (NPF). Ectopic expression of OsNPF8.1 in yeast revealed that OsNPF8.1 encoded a high-affinity di-/tri-peptide transporter, and the osnpf8.1 mutants had a lower uptake rate of the fluorescent-labelled dipeptide c in leaves of rice seedlings. Histochemical assays showed that OsNPF8.1 was highly expressed in mesophyll cells and vascular parenchyma cells, but not detected in root hairs and epidermises. Expression of OsNPF8.1 was induced by N deficiency, drought, NaCl and abscisic acid, and kept at a high level in senescing leaves. Under N deficiency conditions, compared with the wild type Zhonghua 11, the osnpf8.1 mutants grew slower at the seedling stage, and had lower grain yield and lower N content in the grains. In contrast, OsNPF8.1-over-expressing rice (OsNPF8.1-OE) grew faster at the seedling stage and had a higher grain yield. The osnpf8.1 seedlings were less tolerant to salt and drought stresses. These results suggested that stress-induced organic N transportation mediated by OsNPF8.1 might contribute to balance plant growth and tolerate to salt/drought stress and N-deficiency.     

Seedling broadcasting as a potential method to reduce apple snail damage to rice

Exotic apple snails (Pomacea spp.) are a major threat to the productivity and profitability of rice farming globally. Cultural methods that are applicable to traditional rice transplanting are often successful in reducing snail damage to rice. However, high labor and irrigation costs associated with transplanting highlight the need to develop modern rice crop establishment methods to replace traditional, labor-intensive methods. This study examined four broad categories of rice crop establishment for their vulnerability to apple snail damage. Seedlings from dapog nurseries and wet-direct seeding were highly vulnerable to damage and produced no grain in snail-infested ponds in the Philippines. Rice transplanted from dry bed nurseries at 21 days after sowing (DAS) had high mortality (85%) and consequently low yields. In contrast, seedling broadcasting (21 DAS) significantly reduced rice vulnerability (22% seedling mortality) to snail damage compared to all other methods and resulted in the highest grain yields per plot in our experiments. We attribute lower vulnerability to snail damage and successful stand development to reduced transplanting shock at the time of seedling broadcasting and to the generally good condition of seedlings even after 21 days in polyvinyl chloride trays. We suggest that seedling broadcasting be considered as a crop establishment method with potential to sustainably manage apple snails in irrigated rice.     

Phytochromes are Involved in Elongation of Seminal Roots and Accumulation of Dry Substances in Rice Seedlings

Phytochromes have been reported to play important roles in seedling de-etiolation and flowering in rice.To identify the roles of phytochromes in regulating root growth and accumulation of dry substances,the lengths of seminal roots and the dry weights of seedlings were measured in the wild type as well as the phytochrome A(phyA) and phytochrome B(phyB) mutants grown under different conditions.When the whole seedlings were exposed to white light,the elongation of the seminal roots was significantly photoinhibited in the wild type,whereas this inhibitory effect was clearly reduced in the phyA and phyB mutants.When the roots of the seedlings were blocked from white light,the phyA and phyB mutants exhibited significantly longer seminal roots than the wild type.These results suggest that both the root-localized and shoot-localized PHYA and PHYB are involved in the photoinhibition of seminal root elongation in rice seedlings.By measuring the dry weights of roots and shoots,it is revealed that PHYB positively regulates the accumulation of dry substances in shoots,however,PHYA exerts the contrary effects on the accumulation of dry substances in roots and shoots of rice seedlings.     

Spatial distribution of nutsedge (Cyperus spp. L.) seed bank in rice growth cycle using geostatistics

A field experiment was conducted to investigate the spatial distribution of nutsedge (Cyperus spp L.) seed bank in rice growth cycle using geostatistics in 2010–11. The sampling from seed banks were performed prior to rice farm preparation and after rice harvest; also weeds density was determined in three different dates during the growing season. The results showed that the highest amount of weed population was belonging to nutsedge (Cyperus spp. L.) including Cyperus difformis, C. rotundus and C. esculentus species. Nugget/sill ratios for all variogram models ranged from 15.2 to 46.9%, indicated that there was strong and moderate spatial correlation as spherical and exponential variograms models between weed and seedling nutsedge at all stages of sampling. Visual assessments of the weed growth in these field indicated that the weed exist in patches, but mapping results showed that the size and morphology of these patches varied within field. In the present study, seed bank patchy pattern was roughly in accordance with seedling germination pattern. Generally the provided seed bank maps can be used not only as information database of seedling germination, but also for predicting of seed bank dynamics and weed management programs.     

Rice seedling establishment as affected by cultivar,seed coating with calcium peroxide,sowing depth,and water level

Inconsistent seedling establishment is a constraint to the adoption of direct seeding of lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) in the tropics. Rice cultivars with superior seedling establishment in flooded soil have been recently identified. The establishment of these tolerant cultivars was compared with a control cultivar with and without calcium peroxide-coated seed under various combinations of water level and sowing depth. Water level had little effect on seedling establishment when seed were sown on the soil surface, but establishment was reduced by raising the water level when seed were sown below the soil surface. Calcium peroxide-coated seed established better than the tolerant cultivars at 13- and 25-mm sowing depths, but their seedlings were shorter and less vigorous than those of tolerant cultivars. Tolerant cultivars and coated seed had longer mesocotyls than controls. Sowing tolerant cultivars beneath a flooded soil surface at less than 13 mm assists achievement of consistent seedling establishment in lowland rice production.     

Opportunities to increasing dry season rice productivity in low temperature affected areas

Rice is a major source of food for more than 2.7 billion people and planted on nearly 130 million hectares in which 10% is subjected to low temperature problems. Dry season (DS) rice cropping has been expanding in the high altitude lands in Asia and the low temperature is one of constraints to rice production. This study aims to quantify the potential for growing irrigated rice in DS, particularly in high altitude areas in northern Lao PDR where temperatures are low and pose problems for seedling establishment. Research focused on identifying sowing times to avoid the detrimental effects of low temperature, the optimal seedling age for transplanting, the potential of plastic covers and half burnt paddy husk layer to protect nursery seedbeds from low temperature and varieties suitable for this environment. Studies were conducted over 5 years and were examined at six locations. In two locations, where temperature was favorable for rice production throughout the DS, time of sowing was not critical. In higher altitude areas in northern Lao PDR, however, low temperature caused establishment problems in nurseries. In these areas, mid-November sowing before the onset of winter reduced the low temperature effects on seedling establishment while sowing in mid winter (December and January) increased the risk of failure. There were no significant effects of seedling age (25-, 35- and 45-day old) for transplanting on yield for DS rice. Using clear plastic to cover the nursery increased minimum temperatures on average by about 4 °C, which improved seedling growth and resulted in higher grain yield. The mean minimum temperature of 12 °C for 30 days after seeding is critical and temperature below 12 °C resulted in high risk of crop failure due to poor germination, poor seedling growth or insufficient seedlings. Rice needs to be sown at times where the mean minimum temperature exceeds 12 °C or plastic covers are required to protect seedlings. The current popular varieties did not show significant tolerance to extreme cold temperature.     

Insecticidal effect of recombinant endophytic bacterium containing Pinellia ternata agglutinin against white backed planthopper, Sogatella furcifera

White backed planthopper (WBPH; Sogota furcifera Horvath) has become the major threat to rice crops throughout Asia, damaging plants both through its feeding behavior and by acting as a virus vector. Here, we developed a novel method for biologically controlling WBPH by using endophytic bacterium to express anti-pest plant lectins. Strain SJ-10 of an endophytic bacterium, characterized as Enterobacter cloacae by morphological, physiological, biochemical and 16s rDNA characteristics, was isolated from rice seedlings. The Pinellia ternate agglutinin (PTA) gene was cloned into SJ-10 for expression. The positive transformant, selected by antibiotic resistance, was evaluated using PCR, SDS-PAGE and Western blot assay. After inoculation, rSJ-10 could colonize rice plants so that they expressed PTA, and then the rice was shown to have insecticidal activity against WBPH. The results showed that rSJ-10 could significantly decrease the survival and fecundity of WBPH fed on rice seedlings (p < 0.01). At day 19, the fecundity of WBPH inoculated with rSJ-10, or with wild-type SJ-10 was decreased by 86.1%, and 25.6%, respectively. At day 22, numbers of WBPH on rice in the control were 19.4 times greater than on rice inoculated with rSJ-10. At day 26, the rice seedlings all died in the control group, but the seedlings inoculated with rSJ-10 grew well. The results showed that the rice seedlings inoculated with rSJ-10 expressing PTA protein were endowed with the anti-pest activity against WBPH. Further work is needed to investigate whether the rice plants expressing rPTA are toxic to mammals. This research highlights a way to biologically control planthoppers by recombinant endophytic bacteria expressing plant lectins.     

不同光质和光照度对寒地水稻秧苗素质的影响

以适合寒地种植不同生育期的水稻品种(系)为试验材料,在苗期设置不同光质和光照度的LED灯光照射处理,研究光对寒地水稻秧苗生长的影响,以期为寒地在冬季实现室内培育水稻提供参考。结果表明,两种光质处理对水稻秧苗的影响相似;不同水稻品种对光的反应有所差异,但提高光照度后水稻秧苗有叶龄进程加快、根数增多、茎基变宽、地上部干质量和根干质量增加、壮苗指数提高的趋势,适当增加光照度有利于培育水稻壮苗。与对照相比,光照度1 700 lx左右时水稻秧苗素质较差,光照度3 500 lx左右时水稻秧苗素质相近,光照度5 300 lx左右时水稻秧苗素质显著提高。     

水稻常年促早熟的几项措施

水稻常年促早熟不是喷施叶面肥等某项单一措施所能奏效的。对黑龙江省第四积温带,井灌区水稻提出了争取农时、合理选择品种、合理施肥、科学管水等四项促早熟的技术措施。并指出了建三江地区大中棚扣膜、秧田播种、泡田整地、插秧和齐穗的具体时间。     

Addressing current and future problems of parasitic weeds in rice

Significant areas of rain-fed rice in the Sahel, savannah and derived savannah zones of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), Madagascar and other Indian Ocean Islands are infested by parasitic weeds. The affected area accommodates some of the poorest farmers of the world. Without appropriate management parasitic weeds in rice are expected to increase in importance in SSA due to their general invasive nature and their abilities to adapt to changing conditions such as imposed by predicted climate changes. The most important parasitic weeds in rice are: Striga hermonthica, Striga asiatica, Striga aspera and Rhamphicarpa fistulosa. The first two are primarily found in free-draining uplands while S. aspera is also found on hydromorphic soils and R. fistulosa is restricted to unimproved lowlands including inland valleys. As parasitic weeds are typical production constraints in subsistence rice production, targeting them would directly contribute to poverty alleviation and food security. This paper provides an overview of the problems caused by parasitic weeds in rice and discusses management options and opportunities for research for development.     

Chemical weed control in direct-seeded irrigated rice in the Lake Chad Basin,Nigeria

Two field experiments were conducted at Ngala in the Lake Chad Basin during the 1981 and 1982 wet seasons to investigate chemical weed control in direct-seeded, irrigated rice (Oryza sativa L.). Pre-plant-incorporated, pre- and post-emergence herbicides and their mixtures were tested in replicated, completely randomized block trials. Rice variety IR 28 was drilled each season at 125 kg/ha and fertilized with N (150 kg/ha) and P₂O₅ (40 kg/ha). In both seasons, the post-emergence herbicides propanil + oxadiazon at 3·0 + 1·0 kg a.i./ha, propanil+fluorodifen at 1·4 + 1·8 kg a.i./ha, propanil + bentazone at 3·6 + 1·5 kg a.i./ha and propanil at 3·6 kg a.i./ha as well as thiobencarb applied pre-emergence at 5·0 kg a.i./ha controlled the weeds effectively and gave similar grain yields to that from hand-weeding twice, and significantly higher grain yield than the unweeded control treatments. Grain yields similar to those from the ‘two hand-weeding control’ were achieved also by use of the herbicide dymrone at 3·0 kg a.i./ha, either soil-incorporated pre-sowing or sprayed before weed emergence. The herbicides gave satisfactory control of the weeds, which were predominantly the broad-leaved weed Luffa echinata Roxb., together with the grasses Sorghum aethiopicum (Hack.) Rupr. ex Stapf., Echinochloa colona (L.) Link, Eleusine indica (L) Gaertn, Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop., Oryza longistaminata (Chev. & Roehr.), and sedges Cyperus rotundus L. and Cyperus esculentus L. The studies indicate that effective weed control by these herbicides and herbicide mixtures are dependable alternatives to hand weeding for direct-seeded, irrigated rice cultivation in the Chad Basin area.     

泥炭、蛭石与稻田土混配基质对机插秧苗素质及栽插质量的影响

以泥炭、蛭石和水稻土为原料混配成不同水稻育秧基质（CK,100%稻田土;T1,50%稻田土+50%泥炭;T2,50%稻田土+30%泥炭+20%蛭石;T3,25%稻田土+75%泥炭;T4,25%稻田土+50%泥炭+25%蛭石;T5,33.3%稻田土+33.3%泥炭+33.3%蛭石）,研究不同基质的理化性状及其对水稻秧苗素质、机插质量和毯秧质量的影响,筛选适合广东本地化的育秧基质。结果表明,与CK相比,混配基质容重显著降低34.16%～57.25%,总孔隙度提高9.99%～15.82%,通气孔隙和持水孔隙明显改善;除T3外,混配基质均具有壮秧作用,以T4效果最好,株高、百株地上部干物质量、根系盘结力分别比CK提高了24.49%、31.79%和26.11%,T5次之;秧苗素质以T4、T5最好,成秧率、壮苗指数分别比CK显著提高了16.63%～17.91%和30.00%～36.57%,毯秧质量减轻了20.52%～22.43%;栽插质量以T4、T5最好,丛苗数是CK的1.31～1.34倍,漏秧率、漂秧率和伤秧率分别比CK降低了3.48%～3.97%、2.28%～2.46%、1.93%～2.69%...     

Effects of the Combined Application of Ethephon and Gibberellin on Growth of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Seedlings

Abstract

Improvement of early seedling growth, such as seedling emergence and vigor is one of the most important agronomic traits in direct seeding rice cultivation. The effects of two plant growth regulators (PGRs), gibberellic acid (GA₃) and ethephon (ET), on seedling growth under flooded soil conditions at different temperatures and water depths were investigated. The PGRs were applied during the seed soaking process. A single treatment with GA₃ or ET increased seedling growth. However, combined application of GA₃ and ET was more effective than that of GA₃ or ET alone in many cases at both growing temperatures (15 and 20ºC). The growth of different organs in the rice seedlings, such as the coleoptiles, first leaves, and second leaves was also increased by PGR treatment. The nitrogen concentration of the shoot and the ratio of shoot dry weight to shoot length did not differ significantly among the treatments. The results of our study show that rice seedling growth in direct seeding cultivation may be improved by treatment with GA₃ and ET in combination.     

Fusarium solani Upregulated Sesquiterpene Synthase Expression,Sesquiterpene Production and Allelopathic Activity in Piper betle L.

Activators of sesquiterpene synthase (STS) gene expression and sesquiterpene production in Piper betle L. were examined using quantitative real time PCR and gas chromatography mass spectrometry methods, and the allelopathic activity of untreated and Fusarium solani-treated betel extracts was tested on seed germination and on the shoot and root growth of Thai rice variety PSL2 (Oryza sativa cv. Phitsanulok 2) and three dominant paddy weeds (Eclipta prostrata, Echinochloa crus-galli and Chloris barbata). The results demonstrated that F. solani dramatically upregulated STS expression and productions of β-cubebene, β-caryophyllene and germacrene D sesquiterpene when compared with the untreated control, and that betel extracts had a greater inhibitory effect on weeds than on rice. The effects were more clearly detected on seed germination and root growth than on shoot growth, and they were found to be dose-dependent. It is also noted that F. solani-treated extract had stronger effects than the untreated extract. The species most sensitive to the allelopathic effects was C. barbata, germination of which was completely inhibited even at a dose of 0.1 mg/mL untreated extract. With regards to rice, although betel extract at 1.0 mg/mL showed no inhibition on germination, it affected the elongation of rice roots, in addition to those of the tested weeds. The obtained data suggested that F. solani has potential as an activator of sesquiterpene allelochemical production via STS expression, the latter leading to the treated betel extract having a stronger phytotoxic effect. These results were beneficial in the promotion of natural herbicide production using biotechnology.     

Differential Sensitivity of Rice Cultivars to Salinity and Its Relation to Ion Accumulation and Root Tip Structure

Abstract

Effects of NaCl on the growth, ion content, root cap structure and Casparian band development were examined in four rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars with different salt resistance (salt-sensitive indica-type IR 24 and japonica-type Nipponbare and salt-resistant indica-type Nona Bokra and Pokkali). Experiments were conducted to find the differences in salinity resistance during early seedling and developed seedling stages among the cultivars. For salinity treatment, sodium chloride (NaCl) was added to nutrient solution at concentrations of 0, 25 and 50 mM for 7 days from germination to the 7th day (early seedling stage) or from the 7th day to 14th day (developed seedling stage). Growth inhibition by salinity was more prominent in the early seedling stage than in the developed seedling stage. Based on the growth, the order of the sensitivity was IR24 > Nipponbare > Nona Bokra > Pokkali. The growth of NaCl-treated rice cultivars relative to control was significantly and negatively correlated with the Na⁺ content and Na⁺/K⁺ ratio in roots and shoots in both stages. Scanning electron microscopic observation revealed that the root cap tissues proliferated and extended to the basal part of the root tip by salinity. The length of root cap was, however, reduced by 50 mM NaCl in sensitive cultivars due to peeling off. An endodermal Casparian band was formed in the basal region of the root tip. Development of the Casparian band was more prominent in sensitive cultivars than in tolerant cultivars. Root cap proliferation might be related to NaCl resistance in rice seedlings, but the Casparian band may not function efficiently in Na⁺ exclusion. Essentially the present results suggest that exclusion of Na⁺ from roots plays a critical role in expression of Na⁺ resistance in rice seedlings and the root cap is important for Na⁺ exclusion.