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Rice gene design breeding: scientists cultivate new varieties

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The aroma of rice is richer, like fruit, with higher iron and zinc content, so there is no need to supplement other nutrients; all of this can be achieved through molecular design of rice genes. Recently, the author learned from the "Crop Molecular Design and Innovation" symposium that China is currently building a large bioinformatics infrastructure platform to ensure that high-quality genes are "hit every time." Zhu Yingguo, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said that taking rice as an example, japonica rice with a soft and glutinous texture is more favored, and people also hope that rice aroma will be richer or have special aromas such as "fruity" notes. Moreover,

The aroma of rice is richer, like fruit, with higher iron and zinc content, so there is no need to supplement other nutrients; all of this can be achieved through molecular design of rice genes. Recently, the author learned from the "Crop Molecular Design and Innovation" symposium that China is currently building a large bioinformatics infrastructure platform to ensure that high-quality genes are "hit every time."

Zhu Yingguo, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said that taking rice as an example, japonica rice with a soft and glutinous texture is more favored, and people also hope that rice aroma will be richer or have special aromas such as "fruity" notes. Moreover, if the content of trace elements such as iron and zinc in rice is higher, the trace elements needed by the human body can be directly supplemented by eating rice, reducing the occurrence of anemia. In addition to taste, studying yield-increasing genes that control unit yield is another important research direction. All of these can be used to cultivate new varieties through molecular design of rice genes.

At present, the main problems of conventional breeding are high input and low output, with considerable blindness and unpredictability. Breeding work depends to a large extent on experience and luck, and requires spending a large amount of time selecting hundreds or even thousands of materials. In the end, the efficiency of breeding excellent genes is less than one in a million. Molecular design is one of the latest breeding technical methods proposed by agricultural breeders at home and abroad by combining biological science and technology. Through research on the genes controlling all important agronomic traits and their changes, excellent genes are selected for combination design and simulation evaluation to obtain the best gene combination with multiple excellent performances. Then, with the help of traditional hybridization and DNA molecular marker screening techniques, genes from different varieties are skillfully pyramided into one variety so that it has the best gene combination, thereby forming a new variety. Compared with traditional breeding techniques, molecular design breeding is more precise and more efficient.

At present, China is building a basic research platform that will serve as a bridge between massive biological information and breeders' needs. Before breeders conduct field trials, they simulate, screen and optimize various factors in the breeding process, and propose the best parental matching and progeny selection strategies, thereby greatly improving breeding efficiency, shortening breeding time, and enabling the cultivation of more diversified new varieties to meet the needs of life.

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