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Potentials and Limitations of Biotechnology in Rice Background and Introduction

The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Abstract Rice is the first food crop for which complete genome sequence is available. This offers an unprecedented opportunity to identify and functionally characterize the genes and biochemical pathways that are responsible for agronomic performance, adaptation to diverse environments, resistance to biotic stress and consumer quality. Developing rice as a model system is pivotal in the effort to translate the value of information emerging from basic genome research for use in crop improvement. Plant breeders today are presented with many possibilities for altering the behavior of existing crop varieties using targeted approaches suggested by genomics research. An underlying theme is that information about genes and gene functions is what drives biotechnological applications in plant improvement. Two major applications of biotechnology to rice improvement will be discussed in this paper. One involves the use of molecular markers to facilitate the identification and selection of favorable gene combinations. This approach allows breeders to exploit more efficiently the genetic variation that occurs naturally within a species. The second approach involves the introduction of alien genes using transgenics, referred to as genetic modification (GM). Transgenic technologies under development in rice (no commercial releases have occurred) can be broken out into four categories: (1) herbicide tolerance (2) biotic stress resistance, (3) abiotic stress resistance and (4) nutritional traits. The status and potential of each is discussed. Most rice is produced and consumed in the same country and domestic considerations are often more important than trade. Some countries that are not net exporters do export a significant amount of rice and may be concerned about the affect of GM rice on their markets. Impacts of GM on rice trade may be that (1) unauthorized technologies that offer a production advantage will spread through the informal sector in most rice-growing countries; (2) high quality markets and/or markets with concerned consumers will require segregated, certified non-GM rice, resulting in additional costs; (3) GM and other technologies will lower the price of rice on the world market; and (4) biotechnologies will be utilized to combine productivity and adaptation with quality traits, affecting the monopoly of certain geographies for certain traits. The depth of our understanding of the hereditary process has changed, opening an endless array of possibilities for affecting future evolutionary …