A drought-resistant rice variety developed using genome editing technology is expected to be available for field evaluation by kharif 2024 and for commercial cultivation by farmers by 2026.
The new variety of rice is expected to improve water-use efficiency and can be grown despite deficient rainfall.
Genome editing is different from genetically-modified technology. Genome editing enables scientists to change an organism’s DNA to develop crops that can better withstand biotic and abiotic stresses arising out of climate change.
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More on breeding methods to develop improved rice varieties:
Green Super Rice traits: Breeding and genetics for multiple biotic and abiotic stress tolerance in rice
The Green Super Rice (GSR) breeding strategy began in 2008 at IRRI to efficiently develop lines with multiple-stress tolerance and more nutrient- and water-use efficiency with high genetic gains for various targeted ecosystems. The development of superior rice varieties with the GSR breeding approach under decreased rates of fertilizer, pesticide, and irrigation water, grown in marginal environments and producing fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and with improved grain nutrient elements. GSR breeding aims to develop stable high-yielding GSR rice varieties with several green traits suitable to be grown under lower input conditions in irrigated and rainfed areas of Asian and African countries.
Development of healthy and nutritious cereals: Recent insights on molecular advances in breeding
Malnutrition is linked with heavy dependence on monotonous cereal staples without much dietary diversification or nutrient supplementation. Even though significant efforts have been made over the last six decades to improve production and productivity in most food crops, it lacked associated nutritional improvement. Biofortification of cereals with elevated levels of essential micronutrients, vitamins, and reduced levels of toxic elements help to address malnutrition and is a cost-effective approach in reaching target groups, especially rural populations.
Insights into natural genetic resistance to rice yellow mottle virus and implications on breeding for durable resistance
The prospects for rice self-sufficiency in sub-Saharan Africa are being subverted by abiotic and biotic factors, including plant diseases. Several important rice diseases have emerged recently in SSA. The most notorious of these has been Rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV), which is restricted to only Africa. In this review, we present an update of RYMV genetics in relation to virus-rice interactions and discuss some interventions focusing on natural genetic resistance. In addition, we highlight the implications of using known genetic resistance in breeding for durable resistance to the virus in SSA.
