This project proposed to achieve a higher yield in rice through the use of current and advance genomic and biotechnology tools such as DNA micro-array, as well as through the injection of set of genes from unrelated species to enhance photosynthesis and other physiological characters that can boost yield in rice.
The above target can be achieved through the execution of 3 sub-projects as follow:
1) The identification and analysis of genes that are induced in rice grain filling by micro array analysis,
2) Transformation of rice with random genes of Echinocloa spp. for increasing yield capacity, and
3) Gene/genome manipulationfor yield enhancement.The objectives of the entire project are:
1) To identify and clone yield-related genes for yield improvement in
rice.
2) To identify genes that are involved in grain filling in rice
3) To transform rice with random genes of Echinocloa spp. for yield
enhancement in rice.The project utilizes the latest techniques and approaches developed in biotechnology. With the advent of research in genomics as well as tools in plant biotechnology, new strategies and approaches have been developed to improve yield in crops including rice. For example, Ku et. al (2000) has been able to boost yield of rice up to 35% through transgenic rice plants overexpressing maize C4-specific phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) that exhibited a higher (up to 35%) photosynthetic rate. A 30% increase in yield of a hybrid rice was also reported by a Chinese lab in 1999 when yld1 and yld2 genes from the Malaysian accession of O. rufipogon were transferred and expressed in the hybrid. In this project, attempts will be made to transfer genes from weed (Echinocloa spp.) and also wild rice (O. rufipogon) using genetic engineering tools to improve yield. Selection for potential plants will be made based on improved physiological traits such as enhanced photosynthetic rates, improve yield characters, etc. In this project, available genomic data from the above genome projects will be utilize to discover genes that can be manipulated to enhance grain filling. The final outcome of the project will be a rice variety with dramatic increase in yield potential.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Project
Title:
Breaking the yield ceiling of rice through gene/genome manipulation.
Period of the project : 3 Years (2001 - 2004)
Achievements
Progress/Achievements for year one
New product
- Padi Siam - requires less water than normal varieties.
- MR 84 - yield is comparatively lower than other varieties but is more stable in production
- MR 185 - yield is comparatively high but unstable in production due to high sterility
- MR 211 - as MR 185
- MR 219 - as MR 185
New process
- Particle bombardment of MR 81 with DNA genom of Echinocloa crusgalli subcloned in a vector
- Transformation experiments
- Optimization of RNA extraction
- Driver and Tester preparation
- Control pollination experiments
- Primer designing
- Primer walking strategy
- Data mining using Imap data (Gramene database)
- Screening of plants in glasshouse for yield enhancement
Patents filed - 0
Commercialization - 0
Discovery - Data mining in the Gramene database has resulted in the
identification of useful genes that have a role in increasing yield.Publication - 0
Human Resource Development - 0