The study was conducted to find the critical concentrations of zinc toxicity and to determine the changes of the contents of free proline and organic acids with treatment of different zinc chloride concentrations during rice germination and seedlings grown for seven days. The concentration of zinc chloride, 140 ppm, inhibited root elongation as much as 46 times compared with the control, and the germination rate was also decreased in all treatments of zinc chloride, showing that the germination rate decreased more with increasing concentrations of zinc chloride. Its rate was only 13% with treatment of 140 ppm zinc chloride. The content of free proline with treatment of zinc chloride, 140 ppm, was highest about 4,873 ~mu M at 3 days compared with the control. Malic acid concentration with treatment of zinc chloride, 140 ppm, increased to approximately 4 times compared to the control. Citric and succinic acid content were also slightly increased in all treatments of zinc chloride

• Sang-Kuk Kim
• Sang-Hwan Chung
• Sang-Chul Lee
• Seong-Phil Lee