Abstract
Seedlings of Nongbaek representing strong cold tolerant variety of rice plant, Jinheung of medium variety and Tongil of weak variety were used respectively for the present study. These seedlings were water cultured in phytotron which maintained at the daytime and night temperature of 30-$25^{\circ}C$, 20-2$0^{\circ}C$, 20-15$^{\circ}C$ and 15-1$0^{\circ}C$. The growth rate of plant height, tillering rate, increase in dry weight and absorption pattern of important mineral nutrients at their early growth stage under each temperature conditions were observed. Generally, it appeared that Nongbaek was more active in the growth of plant height than Jinheung, and Jinheung was more active than Tongil under low temperature condition. The tillering rate of these three varieties was equally rapid while it was decreased in the order of weak cold tolerant variety, such as Tongil, Jinheung and Nongbaek as the temperature declined gradually. The dry weigh tincreasing curve showed almost the same pattern in the varieties at the treatment of each temperature. Under low temperature conditions, Nongbaek showed higher absorption rate of N per dry weight and higher absorption amount of per plant body, Jinheung followed and Tongil was the lowest. The absorption amount of P2O5 increased in the top part compared with the roots as temperature rose and decreased as temperature declined. There seemed to be no difference of absorption among the varieties which have different cold tolerance each other. Under low temperature the absorption rate of K per dry weight was high, as a whole, especially Nongbaek was markedly higher than the other two. The absorption rate of Ca, Mg and Fe was also equally high in all varieties under low temperature and Nongbaek showed a more absorptive tendency in the absorption amount under low temperature.