Yield Traits and Associated Marker Segregation in Elite Introgression Lines Derived from O. sativa × O. nivara

Introgression lines (ILs) derived from interspecific crosses are a source of new genetic variability. A total of 55 ILs derived from two crosses Swarna × O. nivara IRGC81848 (population A) and Swarna × O. nivara IRGC81832 (population B) were characterized for yield and yield-related traits/QTLs. Segregation of 103 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers associated with yield-related QTLs was studied. Population A showed an average of 12.6% homozygous O. nivara alleles and population B showed 10.6%. Interestingly, three SSR markers, RM223, RM128 and RM517, showed conspicuous pattern of segregation. The distribution of parental alleles at three loci RM223, RM128 and RM517 linked to yield-related traits was unique. These markers flanked to several yield-related QTLs. RM223, flanking to qyld8.3, was heterozygous in almost all the 55 ILs except in IL10-3S and IL131S. RM128 on chromosome 1 and RM517 on chromosome 3 were mutually exclusive in 46 out of 55 ILs. These 46 ILs showed either of the marker allele RM128 or RM517 from O. nivara but not both. IL166S had both RM128 and RM517 from O. nivara and the other ILs showed homozygous Swarna allele at RM517 except IL65S. Population structure assigned the 55 ILs to three sub-populations based on their genomic diversity. IL65S, IL166S, IL248S, IL7K and IL250K showed high yields in multi-location trials, and IL248S was released for cultivation as DRRDhan 40.     

Identification and characterization of new sources of cytoplasmic male sterility in rice

Search for male sterility-inducing cytoplasm in wild species of the genus Oryza was attempted with a view to diversify the base of the cytoplasmic genetic male sterility system currently used in the development of commercial rice hybrids. A total of 132 interspecific crosses were made involving accessions of four wild and two cultivated species, all belonging to the A genome. Wild accessions possessing sterility-inducing cytoplasms were identified following reciprocal and sterile F₂ backcross methods. Sterile segregants were pursued through substitution backcrosses to develop cytoplasmic male-sterile (CMS) lines. CMS lines were developed with the cytoplasm of either O. rufipogon (VNI) or O. nivara (DRW 21018, DRW 21001, DRW 21039, DRW 21030 and RPW 21111). Based on shape, staining, and abortive pattern of pollen and also on type of interaction with a set of restorers and maintainers for known cytoplasmic male steriles of WA source (V 20A), the newly-developed CMS lines were grouped into four classes. Of these, RPMS 1 and RPMS 2 showed gametophytic male sterility with a restorer reaction different from WA cytoplasmic male-sterile stocks.     

Donors for Resistance to Brown Planthopper Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) from Wild Rice Species

Out of 1 989 wild accessions sown in seed boxes for screening, only 1 003 wild accessions with good germination were screened against brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) under greenhouse conditions. The collection comprised of accessions from 11 wild species and African cultivated rice. The germplasm was screened for BPH following standard seed box screening technique in the greenhouse. As many as 159 accessions were identified as resistant during the year 2012 based on one year screening. A selected set of BPH resistant accessions were screened again during 2013. Based on the two years screening, seven accessions of O. nivara (AA), one accession of O. officinalis (CC), seven accessions of O. australiensis (EE), five accessions of O. punctata (BB and BBCC) and nine accessions of O. latifolia (CCDD) were confirmed to be resistant to BPH. So far no BPH resistance genes have been identified and designated from O. nivara and O. punctata, hence these may act as new sources of resistance.     

Taxonomic status of Oryza glumaepatula Steud. I. Comparative morphological studies of New World diploids and Asian AA genome species

This study was carried out to clarify the taxonomic status of the New World diploid wild rice species, Oryza glumaepatula. The morphological variation of 26 diploid rice accessions in the International Rice Genebank at IRRI from South America and Cuba was compared with that of O. rufipogon and O. nivara from Asia. The 28 morphological characters included 16 spikelet and grain, eight leaf and culm, and four panicle characters, and were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis. The first two principal components accounted for 53.6% of the total variation. The first component was characterized by leaf and sterile lemma characters, 5-panicle dry weight, and grain length, and the second by anther length and its ratio to grain length, grain width, thickness, and 20-hulled grain weight. The characters effectively differentiated the wild rices from Surinam, French Guiana, and the lower Amazon River basin in Brazil, which showed high negative scores along both axes, from other accessions from Venezuela, Colombia, and Cuba, and the Asian species. Most of the accessions from South America are quite distinct from O. rufipogon, with which they have often been grouped as a single species in some taxonomic treatments. Groupings obtained from cluster analysis corresponded closely with the results from PCA. This study supports a distinct taxonomic status of a group of diploid wild rices from South America as O. glumaepatula.     

Molecular Mapping of QTLs for Yield and Yield-Related Traits in Oryza sativa cv Swarna × O. nivara (IRGC81848) Backcross Population

Advanced backcross QTL analysis was used to identify QTLs for seven yield and yield-related traits in a BC2F2 population from the cross between a popular Oryza sativa cv Swarna and O. nivara IRGC81848. Transgressive segregants with more than 15% increased effect over Swarna were observed for all the traits except days to heading and days to 50% flowering. Thirty QTLs were detected for seven yield and yield-related traits using interval and composite interval mapping. Enhancing alleles at 13 (45%) of these Q...     

Seed Length Controlled by Same Locus in Four Different AA Genome Species of Genus Oryza

To broaden the genetic basis and overcome the yield plateau in Asian cultivated rice, the exploitation and utilization of favorable alleles from rice species with the AA genome has become important and urgent in modern breeding programs. Four different interspecific populations were used to detect quantitative trait locus （QTL） for seed length, including a BC4F2 population derived from Oryza glumaepatula crossed with Dianjingyou 1 （a japonica cultivar）, a BC4F2 population derived from O. nivara crossed with Dianjingyou 1, a BCzF1 population derived from a cross between O. Iongistaminata and RD23 （an indica cultivar）, and a BCsF1 population derived from a cross between O. glaberrima and Dianjingyou 1. The QTLs for seed length in four different populations were termed as SL-3a, SL-3b, SL-3c and SL-3d, respectively. They had good collinearity and accounted for 49% to 60% of the phenotypic variations. Sequencing data indicated that four QTLs were different alleles of GS3 which were responsible for the seed length variation between O. sativa and its four AA genome relatives. These results will be valuable for confirming the evolution of GS3 and also be helpful for rice breeding.