Abstract
Flooding is one of the major constraints for rice production in rainfed lowlands, especially in years and areas of high rainfall. Incorporating the Sub1 (Submergence1) gene into high yielding popular varieties has proven to be the most feasible approach to sustain rice production in submergence-prone areas. Introgression of this QTL into popular varieties has resulted in considerable improvement in yield after flooding. However, its impact under non-flooded conditions or years have not been thoroughly evaluated which is important for the farmers to accept and adopt any new version of their popular varieties. The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of Sub1 on grain yield of rice in different genetic backgrounds, under non-submergence conditions, over years and locations. The study was carried out using head to head trials in farmer’s fields, which enable the farmers to more accurately compare the performance of Sub1 varieties with their recurrent parents under own management. The data generated from different head to head trials revealed that the grain yield of Sub1 varieties was either statistically similar or higher than their non-Sub1 counterparts under non-submergence conditions. Thus, Sub1 rice varieties show no instance of yield penalty of the introgressed gene.
Highlights
Present and future food demands necessitate a significant increase in the productivity of major food crops especially in the areas that are highly prone to environmental perturbations[1]
Molecular mapping and quantitative trait locus (QTL) studies have revealed that Submergence[1] (Sub1) locus is the major source of submergence tolerance in rice[13,14,15]
Using marker assisted breeding (MAB), the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has successfully incorporated the Sub[1] (Submergence1) QTL from an Indian landrace (FR13A) into the mega variety Swarna, which is commonly being grown in many parts of India[1,22,23]
Summary
Present and future food demands necessitate a significant increase in the productivity of major food crops especially in the areas that are highly prone to environmental perturbations[1]. The farmers in these areas cultivate popular rice varieties such as Swarna, Samba Mahsuri, IR64 and MTU 1010 for their high yield, desirable grain quality and better market value These varieties are highly sensitive to submergence, leading to enormous losses every year due to recurrent floods[11]. Sub[1] versions of these popular rice varieties (e.g. Swarna-Sub[1], Sambha Mahsuri-Sub[1], BR11-Sub[1], CR1009-Sub1) has been recognized to have contributing for stabilizing rice productivity in the rainfed lowlands of Eastern India, Nepal and Bangladesh[12,24,25] These varieties can serve as the most promising technologies for alleviating poverty and food insecurity for communities living in flood-affected areas and are dependent on rice. This provides assurance that the problem of food insecurity can be addressed through the development and dissemination of these popular varieties after equipping them with submergence tolerance[23]
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