Genetic Improvement Strategies for Increasing Rice Yield: A Review Article

Abstract

A review article was aimed to summarize various conventional and biotechnological breeding strategies that increased rice yield in major rice producing counties having strong breeding programs. An increase in productivity is always one of the main goals of any crop breeding program including rice. Even though there was a series of breakthroughs the main breeding goals in most international programs remain similar since a long time ago: increasing grain yield potential, resistance to blast disease, grain quality, and drought tolerance. Increase in grain yield potential is the major goal of almost all rice breeding programs. The major impacts are related to the development of new strategies to increase the genetic grain yield potential of the varieties. Rice breeders have been very successful in improving the crop. The main breeding method used to improve rice is the pedigree, but development of hybrids, new plant types and mutation breeding are added to the breeder’s portfolio. Breeders have been taking advantage of biotechnology tools in order to accelerate rice improvement programs as the main additional tool to conventional rice breeding strategies; however, many programs are still struggling on how to integrate them into the breeding programs especially in developing countries.