Salt-tolerant rice cultivar screening for coastal agriculture resilience

Overview

Saltwater intrusion into surface water, soils, and underground aquifers is an escalating challenge in the Carolinas, threatening salt-sensitive vegetation and disrupting the food sources that sustain coastal and migratory bird populations. This research initiative addresses the urgent need to identify crop varieties capable of thriving in saline-affected coastal environments.

The project focuses on screening rice cultivars for salt tolerance across diverse coastal soil types. Rice is the most salt-intolerant cereal crop, yet certain wildtype cultivars have demonstrated tolerance to salt concentrations up to 0.75%. By evaluating 15 Japonica group cultivars of Oryza sativa in three representative coastal soils, this research aims to identify varieties suited for cultivation in salt-impacted agricultural areas, supporting both food production and ecosystem stability.

Technical specifications

Research approach:

• Greenhouse-based screening of 15 rice cultivars from the Japonica group of Oryza sativa varieties
• Completely randomized block design with four replications
• Factorial testing across three coastal soil types: Yonges loamy fine sand, Kiawah Sandy Loam, and Edisto Muck (Thermic Typic Endoaqualfs)
• Evaluation conducted without weed competition to isolate salt tolerance responses

Measurement technology:

The study employs the Phenospex PlantEye F500 multispectral imager, a sophisticated sensor that combines high-resolution 3D shape measurement with a 7-channel multispectral camera operating in the 400–900nm range. This hardware-based sensor fusion enables spectral data collection for each data point across X, Y, and Z dimensions, allowing researchers to overlay 3D and multispectral information in a single dataset without computationally complex fusion algorithms.

Technology readiness level

This research is in the early-to-mid stage of development, with greenhouse-based validation planned as the next critical step. The proposed multi-year study will establish baseline salt tolerance data for rice cultivars in coastal soil conditions. Future work may extend to field trials leveraging Clemson Extension's regional network for broader validation across actual saltwater-affected agricultural environments in the Carolinas.