Bradbrook - 2012 - Rice Farming complete with methods to increase ric

. By reducing the cost of inputs, increasing production, and/or obtaining extra
benefits on their produce, poverty in poor rice farmers will be reduced; and
c. To assure consumers and processors that rice grown under the Platform is not only
beneficial to the environment, but also to the welfare of farmers.
Part 23: Genetic Improvement
Conventional breeding methods have created thousands of rice varieties that, along with
improved cultural practices, have increased rice yields from about 200 million tons in the
1960s to 678 million tons in 2009. Such breeding methods have largely focused on
creating high yielding varieties with increased tolerance to pests and abiotic stresses.
But recent advances in molecular biology and biotechnology techniques have made it
possible to not only overcome genetic barriers in conventional breeding, but also pinpoint
genes responsible for specific characteristics in rice that could enhance its performance.
These genes make it possible for targeted breeding to develop rice varieties specifically
expressing that gene.
Genetic improvements in rice are currently focused on the following characteristics:
1. Increased yield;
2. Resistance to biotic stresses;
3. Resistance to abiotic stresses;
4. Nutrient-use efficiency; and
5. Improved grain quality.
Recent successes have included the creation of rice that can produce beta-carotene, the
precursor to Vitamin A, the identification of a gene responsible for increased phosphorus
uptake that enables rice to grow in phosphorus-deficient soils without the addition of
inorganic fertilizers, and the identification of a gene responsible for increased number of
grains resulting in increased yields.
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