Rice, Marker-Assisted Breeding, and Disease Resistance

Abstract

In the last few decades, feeding the exponentially increasing human population has been always the biggest challenge for our plant breeders and scientists. To meet this, every plant breeder has focused on developing new and better crop varieties. Earlier, the characters selection was solely based on phenotypic observations, without the knowledge of molecular markers. However, marker-assisted breeding has emerged as the major efficient, sustainable, and accurate breeding approach employed in the last three decades. It has become breeder’s choice for introgression of genes into the recurrent parent for genetic improvement of traits including disease resistance, insect resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, taste improvement, aroma, mineral content, water use efficiency, and overall yield. This approach is highly promising as it allows pyramiding of target trait(s) in a single progeny in a very precise, stable, convenient, and fast manner. As a result, various quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and genes tightly linked to DNA markers governing resistance to rice blast disease, bacterial blight of rice, and other diseases have been identified, mapped, and transferred into susceptible lines, varieties, cultivars, and landraces of various crops including rice (Oryza sativa L.) worldwide. Overall, this book chapter reviews the use of marker-assisted breeding (MAB) for disease resistance in rice.