Breeding strategies for hybrid rice parental line improvement

Abstract

In our country, significant progress has been made in the development of hybrid rice parental lines both female and male parents with good floral traits. An array of hybrids with good grain quality (both unique Basmati type and medium slender (MS) grain type) is developed. Efforts are focussed on the development of restorer lines through exploitation of inter sub-specific hybridization, recurrent selection and population improvement that will help in the development of highly heterotic rice hybrids. The female parental lines are being improved for traits like stigma exsertion and high outcrossing that helps in higher seed yields, thereby reducing the hybrid seed cost. Efforts are on to develop appropriate parental lines that can help in the development of suitable hybrids in late duration group and also for unfavourable ecologies. Many newly developed parental lines are being fortified with resistance genes for major diseases such as BB, blast and insect pests such as BPH that will help in the development of hybrids having resistance to major pests and diseases.