1

Dr. SatyendraAssistant Professor-cum-Junior Scientist

Bihar Agricultural University,

Sabour, BhagalpurJanuary, 2017

Rice Breeding in India: 100 Years and Beyond

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Introduction• Rice breeding in India was started in 1911 with the appointment of Dr.

G. P. Hector at Dacca and in the year 1912 Paddy Breeding Station at Coimbatore was established

• Recognizing the importance of rice to India’s economy the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, founded in 1929, sponsored rice breeding projects in all the major rice growing states and the country had 82 research stations exclusively devoted to rice research by 1950

• The land mark decision of ICAR led to the establishment of Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) at Cuttack, Odisha during 1946, for addressing problems of national importance.

• Organized breeding efforts led to the release of more than 450 improved varieties were pure line selections from the popular local varieties

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The Early Breeding Work• Improvement of locally adapted popular varieties by pureline selection

• Selection and evaluation was confined to single centre and no idea about significance of multilocation testing

• Indonesia was the first country where multilocation testing started to reduce the number of varieties

• Statistical parameters like variance, standard error, principle of randomization, analysis of variance were used for accurate evaluation of test entries

• Re-discovery, and application of Mendel's Laws of inheritance provided the fountain head of genetic variability and the hybridization strategy

• It has enabled to recombine traits of interest leading to hundreds of varieties suiting different rice ecologies, defending biotic stresses and meeting consumer quality

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Where was the emphasis?• Emphasis of breeding was for improvement of traits other than

yield (Improvement of grain quality in Burma and Thailand, Blast resistance all over Asia)

• Purification of highly heterogeneous farmer grown local varieties to uniform height, maturity and other agro botanical traits

• Major breeding objectives were earliness, lodging resistance, dormancy shattering resistance tolerance to pests and disease

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The Dawn of the Era of Dwarf High Yielding Varieties

Taichung (Native)1, the Taiwan-bred dwarf statured variety introduced in the mid 1960s marked the beginning of high yielding varieties

Characterized by non-lodging dwarf habit fertilizer responsiveness, early maturity and photo-insensitivity, the variety with doubled potential yield breached the centuries long yield barrier

Rapid pace of its initial adoption ended soon on account of its high susceptibility to bacterial leaf blight

IRRI-bred miracle yielder IR8 followed by India bred Jaya replaced TN1 truly marked a major yield breakthrough.

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Extensive adoption of IR8 and Jaya along with a series of similarly tailored plant type varieties meeting diverse agro-ecological and socio-economic needs led to 2.5 folds increase in rice production.

The development resulted in –o Sustained self-sufficiency in food and rice needs

since early 1980so Surplus rice enabling sizeable export (10 mill.

tonnes valued at Rs. 30,000 crores) and buffer stocking (30 million tonnes)

Impact of the High Yielding Dwarf Plant Type Varieties

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Breeding over last 50 years

• Dwarf rice varieties 1966

• Resistant to pests and diseases during 1980-90

• Improving yield potential during 1990 to 1999 and beyond

• Climate-adapted stress-tolerant varieties from 2000 onwards

• Water saving climate adapted rice varieties- future

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Contribution of conventional rice breeding in India

Varieties developed >1100

Donors & gene identified

Several for blast, BB,RTD,BPH, WBPH, GM, Salinity, drought, P- deficiency tolerance , iron toxicity tolerance , cold tolerance and submergence tolerance

AICRIP DRR IIRR: The Journey….• The Directorate of Rice Research (DRR)

was established initially as All India Coordinated Rice Improvement Project (AICRIP) by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in 1965 at Hyderabad.

• It was elevated to the status of Directorate during 1975.

• Elevated to the status of -Indian Institute of Rice Research (ICAR-IIRR) in December, 2014.

IIRR coordinated the testing of 24900 entries till 2014 under three tier system (IVT, AVT-1 and AVT-2) in different ecosystems with the help of 47 Funded and 92 Voluntary

centers across the country.

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Region 1 (Hills) (7 North and North Eastern states + 2 Southern states)

Region 2 (6 North Western states)

Region 3 (12 Eastern states)

Region 4 (3 Western states)

Region 5 (6 Southern states)

Essential Criterion for promotion : 5% superiority over best check either on

overall or regional basis for varieties 10% yield superiority over best varietal

check and 5% over hybrid check for hybrid entries

Performance in the 3rd & final year on overall / regional / state, a requirement

NSN 1 & NSN 2 for screening for pests & diseases and Agronomy testing

IVT

AVT-1

AVT-2

Rice Testing Programme Follows Three Levels of Testing

Nursery

Rice Varieties released for various Eco Systems

IRSA, 32

RSL, 161

RUP, 117

ARB, 1SDW, 38DW, 14

HRUR, 7BORO, 11

SCR, 53HRIR, 37

IRE, 138

IRME, 100

IRM, 152BOROSCRHRIRIREIRMEIRMIRSARSLRUPARBSDWDWHRUR

Total: 861 Irrigated: 523 Rainfed: 343

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Green Revolution SlowsWorld Rice Yield (1961-2010)

Data Source: FAOAverage yield (t ha-1) Average yearly increase over

previous 10 years (kg ha-1)

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Year

0

40

80

120

160

200

Courtesy P. Quick

Investment in productivity research

dropped from 2.2% to < 0.8%

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The present situation in India

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PU HA GU KA BI UP CH MP TR AP MA TN UT OR KE WB

-10.00-5.000.005.00

10.0015.0020.0025.0030.0035.00

Yield advantage in hybrid over inbred and check in mid duration group

BH over BIBH over BIC

States

%yi

eld

gain

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361.1439.2

548.2646.3

1012.4

1200

1400

65.46 85.00 111.53 146.55 201.6253

305

90 1401000

400

800

1200

1600

1951-60 1961-70 1971-80 1981-90 1999-00 2009-10 2024-25

In M

illio

ns

Population

Food grain

Rice

Population, production of food grains and rice: Trends and Projections

211.3 (2002)

93.3 (2002) Rice

Food grains

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Physical and Economic Water Scarcity

(Source: IWMI)

17

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Changes in Status of Agroecological Regions

SA areas increased by 8.45 M ha in MP, Bihar, UP, Karnataka and Punjab; over all 3.45 m ha added to SAT

Dryness and wetness are increasing in different parts of the country in the place of moderate climates existing earlier in these regions

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Climate Change

Challenges for food security in the 21st century

05/02/2023 04:45 AM 201965 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

YSBGMGLH

BPHYSBGM

GLHWBPH

BPHYSBGM

GLHWBPH

CWGB

Hispa

YSBGMLF

BPHGLH

WBPHCWGB

Hispa

YSBGMLF

GLHBPH

WBPHCWGB

HispaThripsMites

YSBGMLF

GLHBPH

WBPHCWGB

HispaThripsMitesRoot weevil

Black bug

YSBGMLF

GLHBPH

WBPHCWGB

HispaThripsMitesRoot weevil

Black bug

YSBBPH

LFPSBGM

WBPHGLH

Panicle miteCWGB

HispaThripsMitesRoot weevil

Black bug

3

5

8

9

11

13 13

15

2010

17

YSBBPH

LFPSBGM

WBPHGLH

Panicle miteCWGB

HispaThripsMitesRoot weevil

Black bugBB

Armyworm

2015

19YSBBPH

LFPSBGM

WBPHGLH

Panicle miteCWGB

HispaThripsMitesRoot weevil

Black bugBB

ArmywormLeaf miner

Chaffer beetle

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1945 1960 1975 1990 2005 2015

BlastBLBShBFS

BakaneShRBSStRRTDGD

BlastBLBShBFS

ShRBS

RTD

ShBBLBBlastRTD

Brownspot

BLBBlastBSBlast

BSBS

BS-Brown spot; BLB-Bacterial leaf bight; FS-False smut; GD- Grain discoloration; RTD-Rice tungro disease; ShB- Sheath blight; ShR-Sheath rot; StR-stem rot

Changing Disease Scenario in Rice

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Changes in the pest scenario: Why?

Extensive cultivation of HYVs

Growing of varieties lacking resistance

Intensified rice cultivation throughout year

Climate change ‘Change is law of life’

Resource input management ‘As you sow so you reap’

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Biotic Stresses•Weeds•Insect pests-Stem borers and Leaf Folders-Plant Hoppers-Gall midge-Hispa-Corcyra•Diseases - Bacteria - Blight - Fungal – Blast, Sheath Blight - Viral - Tungro•Nematodes

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Abiotic stresses

•Moisture (TDK1; Drought QTLs)•Salinity (Pokkali-1; SalTol - chr 1 of FL478)•Alkalinity ?•Acidity ?•Temperature ?•Submergence (FR13a; Sub1)•Anoxia ?

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So today breeders has to tackle with

• Yield stagnation• Narrow Genetic base• Changing Scenario of Disease and Insect pest• Limitation in effectiveness of major genes• Limitation in gene/QTLs for abiotic stress tolerance• Ensuring the genetic advance on sustainable basis• Future of new technology: GM crops• Climate change: abiotic factors • Nutritional aspects

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GreenRevolution

Ever-greenRevolution

Commodity CenteredExperiment Station

Research

Integrated Natural Resources Management CenteredParticipatory Research

Paradigm Shift : Environmental sustainability

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What we have in hand? Capacity to bring back part of the genetic variability

Traits/QTLs/Genes to increase yield potential

Traits/QTLs/Genes for many of the biotic and abiotic stresses

Appropriate standardized phenotyping

Improved technology

Better data management strategies

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Four ways to raise further the potential yield

• Tailoring morpho-physiologically still more efficient new plant type: New Plant Type

• Exploiting higher yield vigour in intersubspecific hybrids in the new plant type background: Hybrids

• Rationally deploying new yield genes/QTL being uncovered from progenitor species and landraces: Novel Genes

• Engineering photosynthetic pathway: C4 strategy

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BREEDING OF NEW PLANT TYPE VARIETIES

Simulation modelling predicts the possibility of raising the ceiling to genetic yield by 25% through modification of morpho-physiological traits of the currently available high yielding dwarf varieties

New Plant type characterised by less but more productive tillers with upright top leaves enabling high density planting enhances biomass and thereby potential yield

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SALIENT MORPHO-PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF NPT VARIETIES

Semitall stature (≈ 120cm) with very sturdy culm

Medium growth duration (≈ 130d)

Optimal number of panicles per unit area(300-355/m2)

Enhanced number of spikeets/panicle(≥ 200)

Higher percentage grain filling (>80%)

Higher source strength to reduce percentage spikelet sterility

Robust and persistently healthy root system

Synchronized tillering to avoid unproductive tillers

Slow leaf senescence and slightly longer grain filling period (35d)

Higher responsiveness to applied N(≈ 250kg/ha)

Dark green and upright foliage for efficient utilization of solar energy

IRRI developed New Plant type variety yielding 12t/ha

IR 72967-12-3-2 (> 10.0t/Ha)

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MORPHO-PHYSIOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE INTERSUBSPECIFIC HYBRIDS OF NEW PLANT TYPE

•Tall erect-leaf canopy (125cm) with moderate tillering

•Medium-Medium late (135-145d) crop growth

duration

•Upper three leaves-long (50-55cm), erect (50, 100,

200), narrow, thick,V-shaped and LAI of 6

•Large and heavy panicle (lower panicle position-60cm

from ground to the tip of the panicle)

•High Panicle Number (250/m2), high number of

spikelets (190/panicle), high panicle weight

(6g/panicle) and high percentage grain filling (>80%)

•High harvest index (0.55)

•Healthy and active root system throughout the

growth period upto grain filling/ripening

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IDENTIFICATION AND EXPLOITATION OF STILL UNFOLDED YIELD GENES: Novel genes

Recent studies using molecular techniques suggest that only a small fraction (<15%) of the genetic variability has been captured in the making of cultivars.

Sizeable allelic variations of genes governing economic traits especially yield have been lost in the process of domestication process and subsequent improvement

Thus a very large genetic variability is still available in crop gene pools to be identified and used.

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Novel genes: Yield alleles from wild rice

• Wild species possess many yield-attributing genes that have not been used by breeding programs.

• In several studies, QTLs for yield have been identified in progenies derived from wild species.

• However, very few programs have concentrated on the use of wild rice relatives to improve yield.

• A large-scale program of trait development, identification of QTLs, and validation of QTL effects across diverse genetic backgrounds is needed for the systematic use of wild relatives in breeding programs.

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C4 strategy• C4 plants such as maize and sorghum are 30‒35% more efficient in

photosynthesis and are more productive than C3 plants such as rice and wheat.

• Four enzymes in maize are known to be responsible for the C4 photosynthetic pathway.

• Overexpression of the maize PEPC gene in rice has produced two- to threefold higher activity of this enzyme than that in maize and the enzyme itself accounted for up to 12% of the leaf-soluble protein (Matsuoka et al 2001).

• However, all C4 domesticated plants have Kranz anatomy and, to achieve the goal of converting C3 rice to the C4 photosynthetic pathway, it may be necessary to alter its leaf anatomy.

• Like maize leaves- Wild rice relatives Oryza barthii and O. australiensis have narrower vein spacing.

• Conversion of rice from C3 to C4 is a long-term, high-risk strategy. If successful, this would increase both the yield potential of rice and its tolerance of drought.

•

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Breeding strategies: modification required !!

• Plant breeding is a continuous process.

• It has evolved from being more an art to becoming more a science as new technological innovations and DNA-based molecular markers are being used as tools to generate desired combinations of traits.

• With the advances made in molecular marker technology, the tracking of multiple genes/QTLs linked to various traits in an elite cultivar has become easier and more systematic- varietal development becoming more technological dependent

• Accordingly changes are required to tackle with the future problems for sustainable growth

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How to modify the current breeding programs ?

1. Well defined fully characterize diverse donors in hybrids with knowledge on their combining ability, diversity

2. Bringing new improved donors from trait development3. Unlike trait development- well defined crosses to bring diverse

alleles as well as all needed traits4. More complex crosses, large size of the population5. Stringent selection in each generation6. Before AYT, selected lines should be evaluated for all needed

traits including quality7. Better multilocation evaluation including evaluation for yield

potential and yield under stresses8. Proper data management9. Involving farmers, millers, traders and market thinking in

breeding10. Increased use of technology in breeding

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Gaps between ‘knowledge’ and ‘application’• Many breeders may not understand topics in molecular breeding in sufficient

detail and molecular geneticists often do not understand breeding processes to identify the most strategic stage to apply markers.

• This also prevents integration between breeding and molecular geneticists including sharing of germplasm such as mapping populations or sharing of information or trait data.

• The ‘application gap’ Breeders are usually focused on developing new varieties whereas molecular geneticists are focused more on gene/QTL discovery and ultimately publications.

• Furthermore, the location of breeding and molecular genetics research is often separate, and may occur at different institutions

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So what future breeding needs?• In order to leverage the wealth of available genomics

resources in rice for molecular breeding in the future, breeders will need:

Planned and well-executed QTL mapping experiments

QTL and marker validation activities efficient genotyping systems cheaper genotyping systems and breeder-friendly analytical tools. Integration between breeders and

molecular geneticists will be critical to develop new germplasm using markers.

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Administrator:Look, I do not have resources, just grow one F1 plants, select best F2 plant that is released as a variety in four seasons

Donor:I provide you resources, identify genes, develop products and make sure that product is disseminated to farmers in 3 years

What do breeders do?

1 year reduced support = 10 years loss

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Thank you !