Impact of Indigenous Industrial Compost on the Growth of Coarse and Fine Rice Varieties under Saline Environment

Pakistani rice is popular throughout the globe due to its specific aroma. rice is categorized as salt-sensitive plant as its growth is significantly reduced under salt toxicity. the effect of exogenous application of indigenous industrial compost (iic) on the coarse (irri-9) and fine (super basmati-2000) rice varieties under salt stress was investigated in this study. iic was applied at 0, 0.5 and 1.0% of soil weight, along with recommended chemical fertilizers in respective pots. twenty-day old rice nursery was transplanted in glazed clay pots filled with normal (ece = 1.70 ds m-1) and saline soil (ece = 8.0 ds m-1) under flooded condition. plants were harvested at maturity and different physiochemical parameters were recorded. salinity stress was found to have significantly (p<0.05) reduced both biological and paddy yield of rice, and the reduction was lower in coarse than fine rice. the compost application significantly improved (p<0.01) dry matter four times as compared with control. in the same way, paddy yield increased three folds both under normal as well as saline growth medium. na+ concentration in shoots at 1% iic in growth medium had a significant negative correlation (r=0.90, p<0.01) but potassium concentration proved a significant positive correlation (r=0.92, p<0.01) in both rice varieties. enhanced salinity tolerance in rice by iic application was attributed to increased k+ uptake, thereby increasing k+: na+ ratio and lower na+ translocation towards shoot (sodium exclusion at the shoot level). it was concluded that indigenous industrial compost application improved the growth of rice plant under salt stress.