A critical review on the improvement of drought stress tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Abstract

Abiotic stresses are the primary threat to crop production across the globe. Drought stress is primary abiotic stress which is considerably limiting the global rice production and putting the food security at higher risks. Drought tolerance (DT) is a multigene trait which is influenced by various stages of development in rice plant. Tolerance as well as susceptibility of rice to drought stress is carried out by different drought-response genes and other components of stress. Plant researchers have used various methods such as, genetic manipulation and marker-assisted techniques for development of new rice cultivars with improved tolerance to drought stress. The aims of this review are to present recent advancements and illustrate current approaches to breed a robust drought-resistant rice genotypes by using classical breeding and advanced molecular techniques. We also shed light on all available information regarding the role of significant hormones in DT, QTL for drought-related traits, QTL for rice yield, global strategies for the improvement of DT in rice, DT genes, and selection supported by markers.

Parent progeny regression analysis in segregating generations of drought QTLs pyramided rice lines (Oryza sativa L.)

“…The majority of the world's food consumption is based on rice diet and its productivity is severely affected due to frequent droughts in recent years (Khan et al, 2021) which requires the development of drought tolerant varieties to secure food availability in the future. Drought is the main abiotic stress in rice crops (Rasheed et al, 2020). More regions are expected to become drought prone in the future in India and the percentage of drought risk areas in India, China and Japan are estimated to be above 55% (Guo et al, 2021).…”

“…Marker assisted selection (MAS) is a quick, effective and economical approach to improve drought tolerance in rice. The availability of elite lines with heritable target traits and the assessment of the stability of the pyramided genes evaluated in field experiments provide a better avenue for drought tolerance breeding in rice (Rasheed et al, 2020). Drought tolerance, governed by many complex traits, is linked to many undesirable traits like a late flowering, tallness, low tillers and reduced yield.…”

A Critical Review: Recent Advancements in the Use of CRISPR/Cas9 Technology to Enhance Crops and Alleviate Global Food Crises

“…An increase in agricultural crop production using the latest breeding techniques [7] is the primary concern regarding global food security [8]. However, conventional breeding techniques cannot ensure food safety and maximum food production [9][10][11][12]. Varietal improvement and crop development have been accomplished using traditional breeding techniques, such as hybridization, which to some extent, has enhanced the production of crops [13][14][15].…”

Drought Tolerance Enhancement with Co-Overexpression of DREB2A and APX in Indica Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.)

“…Improvement of yield and maintaining the yield stability of food crops under both normal and stress conditions becomes the most important factor for the food security of the ever increasing population [2]. Drought stress is one of the most adverse factors and considered as a severe threat to growth and productivity of sustainable crops [3]. The effects of drought are thought to be more severe with increasing water deficit conditions and climate changes [4].…”