The present investigation was carried out to evaluate 33 rice landrace genotypes for assessment of their salt tolerance at seedling stage. Growth parameters like root length, shoot length and plant biomass were measured after 12 days of exposure to six different levels of saline solution (with electrical conductivity of 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 or 14 dS m (-1)). Genotypes showing significant interaction and differential response towards salinity were assessed at molecular level using 11 simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers, linked with salt tolerance quantitative trait loci. Shoot length, root length and plant biomass at seedling stage decreased with increasing salinity. However, relative salt tolerance in terms of these three parameters varied among genotypes. Out of the 11 SSR markers RM8094, RM336 and RM8046, the most competent descriptors to screen the salt tolerant genotypes with higher polymorphic information content coupled with higher marker index value, significantly distinguished the salt tolerant genotypes. Combining morphological and molecular assessment, four lanraces viz. Gheus, Ghunsi, Kuthiahara and Sholerpona were considered as true salt tolerant genotypes which may contribute in greater way in the development of salt tolerant genotypes in rice.

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Genetic diversity represents the heritable variation both within and among populations of organisms, and in the context of this paper, among bamboo species. Bamboo is an economically important member of the grass family Poaceae, under the subfamily Bambusoideae. India has the second largest bamboo reserve in Asia after China. It is commonly known as “poor man’s timber”, keeping in mind the variety of its end use from cradle to coffin. There is a wide genetic diversity of bamboo around the globe and this pool of genetic variation serves as the base for selection as well as for plant improvement. Thus, the identification, characterization and documentation of genetic diversity of bamboo are essential for this purpose. During recent years, multiple endeavors have been undertaken for characterization of bamboo species with the aid of molecular markers for sustainable utilization of genetic diversity, its conservation and future studies. Genetic diversity assessments among the identified bamboo species, carried out based on the DNA fingerprinting profiles, either independently or in combination with morphological traits by several researchers, are documented in the present review. This review will pave the way to prepare the database of prevalent bamboo species based on their molecular characterization.

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Salinity has been a key abiotic constraint devastating crop production worldwide. Attempts in understanding salt tolerance mechanisms has revealed several key enzymes and altered biochemical pathways inferring resistance to crop plants against salt stress. The past decades have witnessed extensive research in development of salt tolerant cultivars via conventional means, improvised by modern era molecular tools and techniques. Rice (Oryza sativa L) is the staple food crop across several countries worldwide. Being a glycophyte by nature, its growth is severely imparted in presence of excess salt. Rice is susceptible to salinity specifically at the early vegetative and later reproductive stages and the response of the crop to excessive salt toxicity at biochemical and molecular level as well as physiological level is well studied and documented. An understanding of the specific response of rice to ion accumulation at the toxic level can aid in identifying the key factors responsible for retarded growth and limited production of rice with the future scope of mitigating the same. The present review summarizes the differential responses of rice, in particular, to salt toxicity enumerating the detailed morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular changes occurring in the plant. An attempt to explain salinity tolerance and its future scope and implications in screening for salt tolerance has also been elucidated in the present study.