Rapid and high-precision marker assisted backcrossing to introgress the <Emphasis Type="Italic">SUB1</Emphasis> QTL into BR11, the rainfed lowland rice mega variety of Bangladesh

Flooding is one of the major hazards of rice production for the rainfed lowland rice ecosystem, and tolerant cultivars are urgently needed to help protect farmers from submergence damage. A quick and efficient strategy was implemented to introgress SUB1, a major QTL for submergence tolerance, into a rainfed lowland mega variety BR11 of Bangladesh by only two backcrosses and one selfing generation. In marker-assisted backcrossing (MABC), one tightly-linked simple sequence repeat (SSR) and two gene-based markers, four flanking SSR and 116 background SSR markers were used for foreground, recombinant and background selection, respectively, in backcrosses between a SUB1 donor IR40931-33-1-3-2 and BR11. BR11-Sub1, identified in a BC₂F₂ plant, possessed BR11 type SSR alleles on all fragments analyzed except the SUB1 QTL. The introgression size in BR11-Sub1 was 800 Kb indicating approximately 99.8% identity to BR11. BR11-Sub1 along with other introgression lines showed submergence tolerance similar to the tolerant parent. Yield, yield-component parameters and grain physico-chemical properties showed successful recovery of the BR11 traits in BR11-Sub1, with yield potential ranging from 5.2 to 5.6 t/ha, not significantly different from the recurrent parent mega variety BR11. Producing a large number (~1000) of backcross F₁ plants was considered essential to achieve recombination on both sides of the gene, limiting linkage drag with only two backcrosses. A large number of background markers ensured proper recovery of the recurrent parent genome in the BC₂F₂ generation. The study demonstrates a rapid and highly precise strategy to introgress a major QTL by BC₂F₂ generation into a modern rice variety using an unadapted donor. The variety can replace BR11 on more than 2 million of ha in Bangladesh and provide major increases in rice production.     

Genetic Advances in Adapting Rice to a Rapidly Changing Climate

Rice, with its wide geographic distribution extending from 50°N to 35°S, is expected to be the most vulnerable cultivated crop to future changing climates. Among the different abiotic stresses, extreme temperatures coinciding with critical developmental stages, increasingly frequent floods and drought spells, and worsening sea water inundation are some of the major threats to sustainable rice productivity. Following the successful implementation of molecular marker‐assisted backcrossing to introgress large‐effect QTL for submergence tolerance in rice mega varieties, rice breeding for drought, salinity and, recently, heat tolerance is employing the same approach. Although tolerance for combined submergence and salinity has been achieved, developing rice varieties with multiple tolerance for other abiotic and biotic stresses and finding the appropriate agronomic package to exploit their performance remain a challenge. The major bottleneck is the lack of unidentified large‐effect QTL for other abiotic stresses that are strongly influenced by genotype × environment (G × E) interaction. Rapid advances in the use of molecular tools, including a plethora of SNP markers, are expected to facilitate the development of major abiotic stress‐tolerant rice. In response to the actual farmer field situation, progress achieved in understanding and developing independent abiotic stress tolerance is being exploited to combine tolerances (for example, heat and drought; salinity and submergence) to address emerging environmental problems across a wide range of rice ecosystems.     

Correction to: Genome-wide association study to identify chromosomal regions related to panicle architecture in rice (Oryza spp.)

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-021-01185-6     

Genome-wide association study to identify chromosomal regions related to panicle architecture in rice (Oryza sativa)

Panicle architecture directly affects the grain yield of rice; meanwhile, crop domestication has increased the complexity of rice panicle size and branching pattern. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed to investigate the genetic basis underlying panicle architecture using 183 rice accessions from around the world and a 7 K SNP array. Phenotyping was conducted at Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center in Beaumont, TX. GWAS was performed using MLM (Q?+?K) model using GAPIT software. At p-value?<?0.001, a total of 49 GWAS QTLs controlling various panicle architecture traits were mapped. Considering the recurring and linked SNPs across the panicle architecture traits, 42 independent QTL regions were identified. Among these, 27 QTL regions co-localized with known genes or previously reported QTLs or significant SNP markers, while 15 were potentially novel QTL regions. The results of our study offer useful information on genetic bases controlling panicle architecture in rice, which could be further validated and utilized for designing markers for use in markers assisted selection (MAS) in rice breeding programs.

     

Marker Assisted Selection for Submergence Tolerance in Rice

Yields in the irrigated rice areas have improved remarkably over the last three decades. Farmers with access to assured water supply have adopted improved varieties, resulting in higher yields and improved income in rural areas. In contrast, yields remain low in the vast rainfed areas that are associated with higher levels of poverty. A few improved varieties have spread in these areas, but abiotic stresses such as drought and submergence prevent farmers from realizing their yield potential. Stress tolerant versions of these varieties are urgently needed to improve the standard of living and stabilize household food supplies. It has been found that tolerance to a number of abiotic stresses is controlled by a few QTLs of large effect, and that incorporation of these QTLs into the high yielding varieties could make a significant impact in stabilizing the yields of these varieties in stress-prone areas （Mackiil, 2006）. Submergence tolerance provides a good example of how marker assisted selection can be very effective to develop improved varieties for the rainfed lowlands.     

Through the genetic bottleneck: O. rufipogon as a source of trait-enhancing alleles for O. sativa

This paper summarizes results from a decade of collaborative research using advanced backcross (AB) populations to a) identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with improved performance in rice and to b) clone genes underlying key QTLs of interest. We demonstrate that AB-QTL analysis is capable of (1) successfully uncovering positive alleles in wild germplasm that were not obvious based on the phenotype of the parent (2) offering an estimation of the breeding value of exotic germplasm, (3) generating near isogenic lines that can be used as the basis for gene isolation and also as parents for further crossing in a variety development program and (4) providing gene-based markers for targeted introgression of alleles using marker-assisted-selection (MAS). Knowledge gained from studies examining the population structure and evolutionary history of rice is helping to illuminate a long-term strategy for exploiting and simultaneously preserving the well-partitioned gene pools in rice.     

QTL mapping for tolerance of anaerobic germination from IR64 and the aus landrace Nanhi using SNP genotyping

Direct seeding is becoming more popular mainly due to its labor-saving nature. However, flooding during germination caused by unleveled fields and unpredicted heavy rain can prevent crop establishment. On the other hand, flooding just after sowing protects the seeds from rats and birds and is also a viable means of weed control. Thus, the development of varieties able to tolerate flooding during germination, referred to as anaerobic germination (AG), is essential. A study was conducted to identify QTLs associated with tolerance of flooding during germination from an F_2:3 mapping population derived from the cross of IR64 and the tolerant aus landrace Nanhi. Phenotyping was performed by counting the rate of seedling survival of 300 lines under the stress. Selective genotyping was employed by genotyping the 48 most tolerant and 48 most susceptible lines using a 384-plex SNP Indica/Indica set on the Illumina BeadXpress Reader, resulting in 234 polymorphic markers for the study. A major QTL for AG derived from Nanhi, named qAG7, was detected on chromosome 7 with an LOD of 13.93 and 22.3 % of the phenotypic variance explained. A second QTL of smaller effect, qAG11, was also derived from Nanhi, while one QTL with an increased effect from IR64 was detected on chromosome 2 (qAG2.1). The QTLs detected in this study can be used to further elucidate the mechanisms underlying AG tolerance in rice, and can also be used in marker-assisted selection and QTL pyramiding to provide higher AG tolerance to enable improved crop establishment in direct-seeded systems.     

QTLs associated with tolerance of flooding during germination in rice (O<Emphasis Type="Italic">ryza sativa</Emphasis> L.)

Direct seeding of rice is increasingly being practiced in both rainfed and irrigated areas because of labor shortage for transplanting and opportunities for crop intensification. However, poor crop establishment remains a major obstacle facing its large-scale adoption in areas prone to flooding. Screening of over 8,000 gene bank accessions and breeding lines identified a few tolerant genotypes. One of these, Khao Hlan On, was selected for mapping QTLs associated with tolerance using a backcross population with IR64 as a recurrent parent. Survival of BC₂F₂ lines varied from 0 to 68%, and averaged about 28%. A linkage map of 1475.7 cM with an average interval of 11.9 cM was constructed using 135 polymorphic SSRs and 1 indel marker. Five putative QTLs were detected, on chromosomes 1 (qAG-1-2), 3 (qAG-3-1), 7 (qAG-7-2), and 9 (qAG-9-1 and qAG-9-2), explaining 17.9 to 33.5% of the phenotypic variation, and with LOD scores of 5.69–20.34. Khao Hlan On alleles increased tolerance of flooding during germination for all the QTLs. Graphical genotyping of the lines with highest and lowest survival verified the detected QTLs that control tolerance and some QTLs co-localize with previously identified QTLs for traits relevant to tolerance, which warrant further studies.