Stoneville, Mississippi
April 10, 2008
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Rice
varieties -- Walter Solomon, a MSU doctoral student,
examines historic rice breeding lines that he grew at
the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville in
2007. Solomon and researchers from multiple states will
research the lines on the molecular level to determine
their genetic diversity. (Photo by Robert H. Wells/MSU
Delta Research and Extension Center) |
By Robert H. Wells, Delta
Research and Extension Center
A multi-state project to reveal genetic
markers for some of the Mid-South’s best rice breeding
lines in history is underway with the goal to produce a genetic
map of about 470 of the most successful rice varieties.
Researchers use genetic markers to predict the presence or
absence of traits. The project, known as an association mapping
of historic rice breeding lines, will tie observable, or
phenotypic, traits, such as plant height, with the corresponding
genetic markers by using advanced genetic detection technology.
RiceCAP, a multi-institution, multi-state program that promotes
biotechnology research in rice is funding the project, which is
an initiative through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“There is a wealth of information that can come out of this
research,” said Walter Solomon, a Mississippi State University
doctoral student who is leading the project. “It’s going to give
rice breeders more information about what’s in their program at
the molecular level and how genetically diverse it is.”
To choose certain phenotypes, rice breeders selected major
traits they consider important to their breeding program. These
included heading, maturity date, leaf length, number of seed per
panicle, seed color, seed length and seed shape.
This summer, researchers in Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana
will plant the historic breeding lines and evaluate them for the
selected traits.
Jim Oard, a rice geneticist with the Louisiana State University
AgCenter in Baton Rouge, will oversee the collection of the
phenotypic data at the Louisiana location. He also will assist
Solomon with connecting the phenotypic data to the genetic data.
“We want to determine if association mapping will quickly
identify those genes or markers that will help the breeders
release new varieties,” Oard said. “Any tool to develop new
varieties in a shorter period than before will be welcome.”
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Rice varieties --
Walter Solomon, a MSU doctoral student, examines
historic rice breeding lines that he grew at the
Delta Research and Extension Center in
Stoneville in 2007. Solomon and researchers from
multiple states will research the lines on the
molecular level to determine their genetic
diversity. (Photo by Robert H. Wells/MSU Delta
Research and Extension Center) |
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Anna McClung, a research
geneticist with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service National
Rice Research Center in Arkansas and center director for the
USDA-ARS Rice Research Unit in Texas, is an advisor on the
project. She will oversee the collection of phenotypic trait
data at the Arkansas location.
“The outcome of this project will provide the next stepping
stone to transfer molecular marker technology to U.S. rice
breeders,” McClung said. “Ultimately it will further empower
breeders to select traits that are important to the U.S. rice
industry. Selecting for the presence or absence of genes
directly is more effective than selecting for traits in the
field, because traits are influenced by weather and growing
conditions whereas genes are not.”
Solomon grew the rice breeding lines in 2007 at the Delta
Research and Extension Center in Stoneville to produce enough
seed for the phenotypic research in 2008. From that population,
Solomon also collected leaf tissue samples for DNA extraction.
Brian Scheffler, head of the Mid-South Area Genomics Laboratory
with USDA-ARS in Stoneville, serves as a principal investigator
and advisor on Solomon’s project. He said new methods have been
developed to map traits faster and are less expensive than the
previous marker system.
“As an example, we might be looking at a cost savings of about
60 percent compared to (the previous system) when looking at
testing one DNA marker,” Scheffler said. “The savings in data
analysis time is reduced from four to eight weeks to just a few
days.”
Solomon said the association analysis of the historic rice lines
should be finished by mid-fall 2008.
At the end of the project, the historic population, its genetic
data and its phenotypic data will be available to the public
through a seed bank database. Breeders will be able to access
the database to select desirable plants for their programs.
“The new method will generate a huge amount of genetic marker
data from the historic population,” Solomon said. “This summer,
we’re going to look at a lot of phenotypic characteristics,
including those that are good indicators of yield potential. If
we can find markers for these traits, breeders will have a tool
to evaluate their plants before they are even planted.” |
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