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Context Regular genetic monitoring of rice diversity provides informed direction for plant breeders when selecting parents in breeding programs. Aims The investigation was conducted to assess the trends of decade-wise genetic diversity in popular Indian rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes. Methods We screened 62 genotypes including popular rice varieties released from the 1970s to 2010s in India along with landraces, using gene-specific markers and some of the key yield and yield-contributing traits. Key results Using gene-specific markers, genetic diversity has shown a downward trend from landraces to the 2010s. Qualitative analysis revealed that more alleles were present in landraces than released varieties. The disappearance of alleles was prominently observed in varieties released in the 1970s and even more so in the 2010s, which suggests that present-day cultivars are losing several valuable alleles of the key yield genes. Genetic diversity assessed using phenotypic data also exhibited a downward trend towards the 2010s. Molecular and phenotypic data on genetic diversity were used to group the rice genotypes, revealing that genotypes with common parents grouped together. Conclusions Genetic diversity has shown a downward trend from landraces to the 2010s, as assessed using both gene-specific markers and phenotypic data, although with slight deviations among various decades. Implications This study reinforces the fact that assessment of temporal trends in genetic diversity at regular intervals is warranted to meet future food demands while conserving on-farm crop diversity.

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Rice is the staple food crop that is grown across the globe due to its resilience to climatic conditions. Cereals are the predominant food grains consumed by the majority of the population across the globe, with rice alone feeding 50% of the global populace. In order to feed the geometrically rising population, there is a need for a dramatic upsurge in rice production levels. But climate change is one of the causes resulting in the rising of various biotic and abiotic stresses. The advancement of science had resulted in the development of Genome editing technologies like clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9), transcription activator-like effectors nucleases (TALENs), and zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs). Among these techniques, due to ease of application, and high precision crisper-cas technology had emerged as a solution to overcome various obstacles in the journey of enhancing production levels of rice. In this, we will review various improvements made in the rice crop using crispercas which ultimately led to enhanced production.