Genetic and molecular understanding of drought tolerance for the improvement of irrigated rice under drought stressed conditions in central and southern China

摘要

Drought frequently occurs in late summer and early fall in rice producing areas of central and southern China, hitting the rice crop at late stages of growth and development, which causes significant yield loss. We have been taking a comprehensive approach to studying the genetic and molecular bases of drought tolerance in rice, emphasizing the late stages of the rice crop, with the goal to improve the cultivars and hybrids. The project has been supported by The Rockefeller Foundation and consists ofthe following components: (i) drought tolerant germplasm screening and identification, (ii) genetic analysis and mapping QTLs for drought tolerance, (iii) expression profiling of drought induced genes, (iv) root morphology related to drought tolerance,and (v) molecular breeding.