Journal of Biology and Nature

Calcium is an essential nutrient that plays important roles in numerous physiological processes in plants, serving as a secondary messenger in cellular signaling. Improved calcium nutrition can therefore contribute towards higher crop yield. In the present study, biochemical and growth responses were investigated in growing rice subjected to CaCl₂ treatment. Preliminary growth studies on the effect of Ca on rice revealed no evidence of significant toxicity up to 100 µM CaCl₂ and 75 µM CaCl₂ was selected to compare the positive effect of calcium in three rice cultivars. Further studies were performed to investigate the uptake and penetration of calcium and to evaluate its effect on growth and physiological responses in three rice cultivars (Boro-68, Basmati and IR64). The impact of CaCl₂ on growth and physiological changes of selected rice cultivars was found to be in order of Boro-68>Basmati > IR64. Further, detail understanding of the physiology of calcium nutrition in rice plant during stress and recovery would suggest possible role of calcium in abiotic stress acclimatization in plant.