Tools for using the International Rice Genebank to breed for climate-resilient varieties

Abstract

Climate change is associated with crop exposure to unpredictable temperatures, water levels, salinity, and elevated carbon dioxide. Due to its wide range of adaptability [1], of all crops, rice has the most genetic potential for adaptation to climate change, with traditional varieties adapted to conditions ranging from completely aerobic soil throughout the growing season (upland rice), through fluctuation from submerged to dry conditions within a single season (rainfed rice), to flooding with >5 m water (deepwater rice) (Fig 1). Improving rice adaptation to climate change–related stress is a major effort of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and a key mandate directing our work to ensure rice food security. One important aspect of this work is Genebanks, seed repositories that conserve traditional varieties, improved varieties, and crop wild relatives. The IRRI Genebank maintains more than 130,000 types of cultivated rice and wild species with passport data (collection location and related information) available at GrinGlobal, enabling their potential effective use in breeding.