The role of H2O2 in abscisic acid (ABA)-induced senescence of leaves attached to rice seedlings has been investigated. ABA treatment resulted in leaf senescence promotion of cultivar Taichung Native 1 (TN1) seedlings, but not cultivar Tainung 67 (TNG67). Results also show that the increase in ABA content in the leaves of ABA-treated TN1 seedlings is less pronounced than that of ABA-treated TNG67. In term of leaf senescence, it appears that rice seedlings of cultivar TN1 are ABA-sensitive and those of cultivar TNG67 are ABA-insensitive. On treatment with ABA, H2O2 accumulated in the leaves of TN1 seedlings but not in the leaves of TNG67. Evidence was provided to show that ABA-increased H2O2 content in the leaves of TN1 seedlings was prior to the occurrence of senescence.