ABSTRACT
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the primary staple for half of the world’s population and 75% of the population living in poverty. Current global production of milled rice is 465.34 Mt and total consumption of milled rice is 466.12 Mt (Figure 1.1a). Between 1966 and 2000, the Green Revolution increased food production in densely populated developing countries by 125% (Khush 2001). In recent years, a signicant increment in rice yield has been achieved through two major genetic interventions: (i) the use of semidwarf genes that improved harvest index, lodging resistance, and nitrogen responsiveness, and (ii) the exploitation of heterosis through the production of hybrids. The improvement in rice yield slowed down considerably during the 1990s compared to the 1980s, and in the past 10 years it has shown little improvement (Figure 1.1b). This slowing pace of yield increase needs to be improved in the context of the high rate of world population growth, climate change, and the reduction in
CONTENTS
1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................1 1.2 Rice Genomics ........................................................................................................................3 1.3 Marker-and Genomics-Assisted Breeding ........................................................................4
