Rice biofortification: breeding and genomic approaches for genetic enhancement of grain zinc and iron contents

Rice is a highly consumed staple cereal cultivated predominantly in Asian countries, which share 90% of global rice production. Rice is a primary calorie provider for more than 3.5 billion people across the world. Preference and consumption of polished rice have increased manifold, which resulted in the loss of inherent nutrition. The prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies (Zn and Fe) are major human health challenges in the 21st century. Biofortification of staples is a sustainable approach to alleviating malnutrition. Globally, significant progress has been made in rice for enhancing grain Zn, Fe, and protein. To date, 37 biofortified Fe, Zn, Protein and Provitamin A rich rice varieties are available for commercial cultivation (16 from India and 21 from the rest of the world; Fe > 10 mg/kg, Zn > 24 mg/kg, protein > 10% in polished rice as India target while Zn > 28 mg/kg in polished rice as international target). However, understanding the micronutrient genetics, mechanisms of uptake, translocation, and bioavailability are the prime areas that need to be strengthened. The successful development of these lines through integrated-genomic technologies can accelerate deployment and scaling in future breeding programs to address the key challenges of malnutrition and hidden hunger

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Not AvailableGenetic diversity analysis within a species is useful in understanding evolutionary processes at the genomic and population levels. A preliminary effort was made to analyze the genetic diversity of seventy-two rice germplasm lines using twenty-two SSR markers. Out of which seven (31.82%) markers exhibited polymorphism by generating 20 alleles. The number of alleles ranged from 2 to 4 with a mean of 2.85, while the Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) for these seven markers ranged from 1.021 (JGT 06) to 1.839 (RM 151) with an average of 1.487. JGT 12 amplified maximum number (4) of markers. The use of SSR markers in genetic diversity studies helped in grouping the genotypes according to their genetic relatedness.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableNot AvailableVietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS), Vietnam and conducted at ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad, Indi

Advances in genetic basis of nitrogen use efficiency of rice

Not AvailableNitrogen is one of the fundamental key element required for crop growth and development. Excessive use of N in crop production has become a major global concern as it is causing environmental degradation through soil– water and also atmosphere. Increasing N use efficiency (NUE) and a balance of crop yields to achieve food security is the need of current situation. It is also important that, judicious application of N along with developing N efficiency crops are to be targeted for reducing the global climate change impacts. Ample opportunities existing in the form of germplasm resources which are yet to be utilized, advancement of genetic tools such as QTLs, genes associated with N metabolism, proteomics, association mapping, microarray, miRNA, genetic transformation and transcriptomic strategies are yet to be fully implemented to decipher the secrets of natural efficiency of N in crop plants. Progress of N use efficient developed using some of the above tools in a multidisciplinary mode and the first set of improved N efficient rice lines are field tested so as to understand genetic basis of NUE.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableIndia is the second largest producer of rice in the world and it is the most important staple food grain. All India Coordinated Rice Improvement Project (AICRIP) was initiated with objective of conducting multi-location trials to identify suitable genotypes of high yield potential along with appropriate crop management practices. Since its inception AICRIP contributed significantly in meeting the growing demand both within and outside India. Significant progress has been achieved through AICRIP in terms of varietal release thereby increasing the crop productivity and also meeting the food and nutritional security. This paper makes a sincere effort in bringing out the significant achievements/milestones achieved under the AICRIP program and also gives a few directions for widening the areas under AICRIPNot Availabl

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Not AvailableIndia is the second largest producer of rice in the world and it is the most important staple food grain. All India Coordinated Rice Improvement Project (AICRIP) was initiated with objective of conducting multi-location trials to identify suitable genotypes of high yield potential along with appropriate crop management practices. Since its inception AICRIP contributed significantly in meeting the growing demand both within and outside India. Significant progress has been achieved through AICRIP in terms of varietal release thereby increasing the crop productivity and also meeting the food and nutritional security. This paper makes a sincere effort in bringing out the significant achievements/milestones achieved under the AICRIP program and also gives a few directions for widening the areas under AICRIPNot Availabl

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Not AvailableNot AvailableVietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS), Vietnam and conducted at ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad, Indi

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Not AvailableNot AvailableVietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS), Vietnam and conducted at ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad, Indi

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Not AvailableBacterial blight (BB) in rice caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is a major global production constraint, particularly in irrigated and rain-fed lowland areas. Improved Samba Mahsuri (ISM) is an elite, high-yielding, fine-grain type, BB-resistant rice variety possessing three BB-resistant genes (Xa21, xa13 and xa5) and is highly popular in the southern parts of India. As the BB pathogen is highly dynamic and the evolution of pathogen virulence against the deployed resistance genes is common, we added a novel BB-resistant gene, Xa38, into ISM through marker-assisted backcross breeding (MABB) to increase the spectrum and durability of BB resistance. The breeding line PR 114 (Xa38) was used as the donor for Xa38, whereas ISM was used as the recurrent parent. Foreground selection was conducted using PCR-based gene-specific markers for the target genes, whereas background selection was conducted using a set of polymorphic SSR markers between the parents and backcrossing that continued until the third generation. Eighteen homozygous BC3F2 plants possessing all four BB-resistant genes in the homozygous state and with a recurrent parent genome (RPG) recovery of more than 92% were identified and advanced to the BC3F6 generation. These 18 backcross-derived lines (BDLs) exhibited very high level of resistance against multiple Xoo strains and displayed agro-morphological traits, grain qualities and yield levels similar to or better than those of the recurrent parent ISM.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableBiotechnological tools like molecular markers can add precision to breeding and accelerate breeding efforts. Towards this objective, our research team at ICAR-IIRR has applied marker-assisted breeding (MAB) for improvement of multiple traits like resistance against bacterial blight, blast, gall midge and BPH, heterosis related traits, improvement of low soil P tolerance, grain quality and yield. Through marker-assisted backcross breeding (MABB), a high-yielding, bacterial blight resistant rice variety possessing fine-grain type and low glycemic index (GI), named Improved Samba Mahsuri (ISM) has been developed and released for cultivation by farmers. MABB has also been applied for improving bacterial blight resistance of a few important traditional and evolved Basmati rice varieties and hybrid rice parental lines. A novel bacterial blight resistance gene, Xa33 has been identified from an accession of the wild rice, O. nivara, fine-mapped and transferred into several elite genetic backgrounds. Novel sources of resistance against bacterial blight and blast diseases have been identified and characterized and major blast resistance have been transferred to several elite genetic backgrounds and a major QTL associated with neck blast resistance has been identified from wild rice. Additionally, genepyramid lines possessing resistance against gall midge have also been developed and a novel and highly effective BPH resistance gene has also been identified and mapped with molecular marker and few promising donors possessing resistance against sheath blight have been identified. A molecular marker-based assay has been designed for rapid and accurate determination of impurities in seed-lots of rice hybrids and their parental lines and functional markers have been developed for the traits relevant to hybrid rice, viz., wide-compatibility, wild-abortive cytoplasmic male sterility and fertility restoration. Functional markers have also been developed for major grain quality determining genes, fgr and GS3 and a major QTL controlling gelatinization temperature has been identified through molecular mapping. The major QTL responsible for low soil phosphorus (P) tolerance, viz., Pup1 has been transferred to Improved Samba Mahsuri, MTU1010 and IR64 and novel, non-Pup1 type donors have been identified for the trait. Four major yield enhancing genes, viz., Gn1a, SCM2, OsSPL14 and GW5 have been transferred to elite rice cultivars, viz., Improved Samba Mahsuri, Swarna, MTU1010 and NDR359.Not Availabl