Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials
Open Access

Abstract

Rice is the world�s most important staple food crop feeding more than half of the human population. The demand for rice is expected to increase further with the increase in the global human population but the annual gain in yield potential through breeding has slowed down. Large number of well-filled grains per panicle is an important yield component trait in rice. Identification of a major QTL for grain number on chromosome 4 (qGN4-1) has provided the opportunity to apply marker assisted backcrossing (MAB) to develop rice cultivars with high grain number. Successful examples of QTL transfer to rice are introgression of saltol and sub1 loci in rice for enhanced salt and flooding tolerance, respectively. We are transferring the qGN4-1 in twelve rice mega varieties namely CSR-30, CR-1009, HUR-105, IR-64, MTU-1010, Pusa-44, Pusa Basmati-1, Pusa Basmati-1121, Ranjit, Sambha Mahsuri, Sarju-52 and Swarna. Donors for the transfer of qGN4-1 QTL are: HG-28, HG-67 (RILs from pusa1266/Pusa Basmati-1 cross). The flanking SSR markers to qGN4-1 namely, nkssr 04-19, RM3276, Hvssr 04-49 and RM2441 were evaluated for polymorphism among the selected parents. Each of the crosses was confirmed by the presence of donor alleles. Data of augmented field design shows increase in 50-100 grains per panicle. Phenotypic characteristics such as plant height, flag leaf length, flag leaf width, panicle length, primary and secondary panicle branching shows slight increase respectively whereas tillering capacity decreases with sturdy stem. The study will lead to development of a series of near isogenic lines with and without the grain number QTL qGN4-1 in twelve different genetic backgrounds mega rice varieties for studying the stability of this QTL.

Biography

Email: vijswami@gmail.com