ABSTRACT
Rice is a staple crop that is essential for global food security, providing sustenance for over half of the world’s population. Unfortunately, rice production is constantly threatened by various biotic and abiotic stresses, including diseases, pests, drought, flooding, salinity, and heat. These stresses often lead to significant crop losses and reductions in quality, resulting in food insecurity and economic instability. To combat these challenges, there is an urgent need to develop new rice varieties that are tolerant to both biotic and abiotic stresses. While traditional crop breeding programs have typically focused on selecting specific phenotypic traits, recent advancements in molecular biology have led to the discovery of genes associated with particular characteristics. By utilizing these genes, it is possible to develop new rice varieties with improved traits, such as biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. One promising approach to identifying these beneficial genes is through the process of allele mining. Allele mining involves identifying and characterizing allelic variants associated with a particular trait using various molecular markers, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertion-deletion (InDel) markers. By doing so, researchers can develop a better understanding of the genetic basis of desirable traits, ultimately leading to more efficient and effective breeding practices. This book chapter aims to explore the concept of allele mining and its applications in breeding rice for biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. By highlighting the importance of this technique, this chapter provides valuable insights into how allele mining can be used to develop new, improved rice varieties that can withstand a range of environmental challenges. Ultimately, the successful implementation of allele mining in rice breeding could help secure global food security and improve economic stability in regions that depend on rice as a primary food source. The chapter will benefit policymakers, breeders, and researchers who aim to develop rice varieties with improved resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
