In rice production, salinity is a major limitation requiring sustainable mitigation strategies to get the optimum yield. Practical approaches, such as the use of rice husk ash (RHA) as a silica-rich soil amendment and ascorbic acid as an antioxidant, are essential to enhance plant tolerance under saline conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of salinity, RHA, and ascorbic acid on the morphophysiological and yield-related traits of the red rice cultivar Pamelen, carried out in 2024 at the Growth Center LLDIKTI I, Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. The experiment layout was in a factorial split-plot design with salinity levels (0, 4, and 8 dS/m), RHA dosages (0, 20, 40, and 60 g/plant), and ascorbic acid concentrations (0, 500, and 1000 ppm). Salinity stress levels significantly reduced rice growth and yield components, while chlorophyll content remained relatively stable. The application of RHA at 60 g/plant significantly improved vegetative growth, while the recorded highest grain weight per panicle was 40 g/plant. The treatment of ascorbic acid notably increased proline content, with the highest accumulation observed at 1000 ppm. Overall, RHA and ascorbic acid proved an effective ameliorant for reducing salinity-induced yield losses in red rice.
Red rice, salinity stress, rice husk ash, ascorbic acid, morphophysiological traits, grain yield
Salinity considerably reduced vegetative growth and development and grain yield of red rice. However, RHA substantially improved vegetative performance and grain formation, while ascorbic acid aided in proline-based stress adjustment. Chlorophyll remained stable across treatments, indicating maintained photosynthetic integrity.