Improvement in Salinity Tolerance in Rice Using Biotechnology

Abstract

Abstract: Rice has been amongst the most important cereal crop on earth, or more correctly the second most staple diet of people after wheat. The statement is self-explanatory to the demand of rice worldwide and the supply. But with increasing population, the demand of rice is also undoubtedly increasing. The increase in supply is though held back by many factors that adversely affect the growth of a healthy rice crop. One of these factors is salinity. Rice being a glycophyte has very low tolerance to salt, and salt stress results in a damaged yield. However, rice has its own mechanisms for salt tolerance to a certain level, the knowledge of which scientists have put in use to develop the few improvements in rice varieties providing them with better tolerance. Though these improvements have faced many challenges themselves, science still strives to make further achievements. This study aims to highlight the mechanisms rice use to tolerate salt up to a certain level and how they are affected by salinity at levels above that. It also aims to enumerate the methods biotechnology has developed in the past years to improve the varieties, the advantages they have had, the increase in yield they have shown and the challenges they have had to face. Also, it includes if there are any further developments undergoing and the future scope of salinity tolerance increase in rice, with the help of biotechnology.