Breeding new aromatic rice with high iron using gamma radiation and hybridization

Abstract

The goal of many breeding programmes is the combination of several improved traits to produce a cultivar that meets demands of farmer and consumer. For example, breeding aromatic rice varieties having both high quality and yield is an objective in Vietnam to satisfy domestic consumers and increase value in the export market. Genetic variation is the starting point for any breeding programme. In some cases sufficient variation exists and traditional hybridizations and introgressions are suitable for cultivar development. In other cases, new variation, such as that created through mutagenesis, is required for the development of new traits. Thus, a combinatorial approach using both hybridization and induced mutations can be considered when the goal is a new cultivar expressing several improved traits. We have taken this approach in rice breeding to generate lines with improved aroma and high iron content. Here we provide a protocol for mutation induction, hybridization and phenotypic analysis for the improvement of aroma and iron content in rice using a combined mutation and hybridization approach. Example data from this work is shown. This approach can be easily adapted for other traits of interest.