The aim of the present work was to explore physiological changes provoked by somaclonal variation in response to salinity. Two parental cultivars (La Candelaria and Yerua) and their derived somaclones were used as a source for breeding new rice lines with improved salt tolerance. We studied the effect of NaCl salt stress on chlorophyll fluorescence-related parameters, such as the maximum quantum yield of primary PSII photochemistry (F v /F m ) and the performance index for energy conservation from photon absorbed by PSII antenna (PI ABS ). In addition malondialdehyde (MDA) content and leaf temperature (LT) responses were also measured. In somaclonal lines, F v /F m , PI ABS , MDA and LT showed coefficients of variation of 13.7, 39.3, 25.5, and 3 %, respectively, for La Candelaria and 1.4, 17.6, 34.4 and 3 % for Yerua. However, the fragrant character did not differ in the aromatic somaclonal lines with respect to their parentals. Our results suggest that the F v /F m ratio would not be as good marker of PSII vitality as PI ABS for salinized rice somaclones, unless they are highly susceptible to salinity. On other hand, the MDA content showed a strong negative correlation with the PI ABS content in somaclones of both rice cultivars, suggesting that MDA levels could also be used as an oxidative damage index in rice somaclones.

The physiological response of multiple rice cultivars, eighteen initially and eight cultivars later on, to suboptimal temperatures (ST) conditions was investigated in laboratory and outdoor experimental conditions. Treatment with ST decreased growth in different extents according to the cultivar and affected the PSII performance, determined by chlorophyll fluorescence fast‐transient test, and stomatal conductance, regardless the experimental condition. Two groups of cultivars could be distinguished on the base of their growth and physiological parameters. The group of cultivars presenting higher growths displayed optimal JIP values, and higher instantaneous water use efficiency (WUEi), due to a lower Gs under ST, unlike cultivars showing lower growth values, which presented worse JIP values and could not adjust their Gs and hence their WUEi. In this work, we detected at least two cultivars with superior tolerance to ST than the cold tolerant referent Koshihikari. These cultivars could be used as parents or tolerance donors in breeding for new crop varieties. On other hand, positive and significant correlations between data obtained from laboratory and outdoor experiments suggest that laboratory measurements of most of the above mentioned parameters would be useful to predict the response of rice cultivars to ST outdoor.