Advances in molecular breeding techniques for rice

Description

For the last two decades, marker-assisted selection has reshaped breeding programmes and facilitated gains from selection. Recent developments in genomic technologies, including the advent of high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies and cost-effective genotyping platforms, are effecting shifts in the prevailing framework of plant breeding towards a more precise utilization of genetic variation for crop improvement. This chapter describes the importance of selection and hybridization in crop improvement. It gives a detailed account of current trends in rice molecular breeding, including QTL mapping and marker-assisted selection, and presents a case study of gene Sub1A to illustrate how these techniques increased breeding efficiency and precision for target traits. Finally, it analyses the emerging tools in genomics-based breeding that promise to increase the efficiency of modern rice breeding towards a more rapid varietal development and release.

Table of contents

1 Introduction 2 Selection and hybridization tools 3 From conventional to molecular breeding approaches 4 The genomics era in rice breeding 5 Applying genomics for more rapid varietal development and release 6 Future trends and conclusion 7 Where to look for further information 8 References