Abstract：The aim of this study is to clarify the effects of spraying Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on growth of rice seedlings under different levels of salt stress. Tianlongyou 619, a major japonica rice variety in Tianjin was used as the research material. Rice seedlings were cultivated in plugs and transplanted into hydroponic cups when 3 leaves expanded. five NaCl solutions (0, 25, 50, 75, 100 mmol/L) were tested. 4 mmol/L GABA solution was sprayed to leaves as experimental group, and water was used as the control group. Seedling growth and physiological characteristics under salt stress were analyzed. The results showed that, with the increase of salt stress, the plant height increment and leaf area of rice showed a downward trend; dead leaf rate, root dry-fresh ratio, POD and SOD enzyme activities in leaves showed an upward trend; root activity and APX enzyme activity in leaves increased first and then decreased. Under the same salt stress, compared with the treatment without spraying GABA, the four salt stress treatment with spraying GABA showed: plant height increment increased by 1.7%~32.4%, dead leaf rate decreased by 1.6%~23.3%, root dry weight decreased by 9.3%~22.0%, root activity increased by 1.2%~94.4%, POD, SOD and APX enzyme activities increased by 5.0%~20.8%, 9.8%~17.3% and 7.2%~64.4%, respectively. It can be seen that foliar spraying of 4 mmol/L GABA on the leaf surface could improve the salt tolerance of rice and promote the assimilation to be preferentially allocated to the aboveground parts.