Premium
Developing Perennial Upland Rice I: Field Performance of Oryza sativa / O. rufipogon F 1 , F 4 , and BC 1 F 4 Progeny
Author(s) -
Sacks Erik J.,
Roxas Jose P.,
Cruz Maria Teresa Sta.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci2003.1200
Subject(s) - biology , perennial plant , cultivar , agronomy , oryza rufipogon , oryza sativa , crop , sorghum , upland rice , subsistence agriculture , agriculture , ecology , biochemistry , gene
Development of perennial upland rice ( Oryza sativa L.) could improve food security for subsistence farmers while facilitating the conservation of natural resources, but the feasibility of breeding such a cultivar is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine if O. rufipogon Griff., the wild ancestor of cultivated Asian rice, would be a useful source of genes for introgressing perennial growth habit into cultivated rice. In two trials conducted at the International Rice Research Institute, cultivars were compared with interspecific F 1 s or with rapidly advanced F 4 and BC 1 F 4 families, respectively. After 1 yr, none of the cultivars survived but survival in progeny families ranged from 0 to 85.7%. Average survival for the F 1 s was 30.6% and only one family out of 31 had no survivors. Correlations between F 1 family survival and parental O. rufipogon vigor at 9 mo and 20 mo indicated that at least 1 yr is needed to identify perennial genotypes. Fertility among the progeny was generally good, which should facilitate further breeding efforts. In contrast to the cultivars, which produced only one main crop at the end of the wet season, many progenies produced a ratoon crop during the dry season even though they were drought stressed. The ability to produce a dry season ratoon crop under upland conditions is a new opportunity for increasing food security of subsistence upland rice farmers. Breeding perennial cultivated rice should be feasible but it will likely take 5 to 10 more years.