INVESTIGATOR: Chu, Q. R.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
RICE RESEARCH STATION
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA 70893

BREEDING LONG-GRAIN RICE VARIETIES BY CONVENTIONAL METHODS SUPPLEMENTED BY DOUBLED HAPLOID TECHNOLOGY

OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this project is to develop improved long- grain rice varieties by combining the breeding technologies at conventional and cellular levels. This will be complementary to current rice breeding efforts to develop superior varieties for southern rice growing area by improving major agronomic traits of current varieties which include disease tolerance, plant type, grains/panicle, and maturity.

APPROACH: Identify long-grain parents with high yield potential by screening numerous commercial varieties and elite experimental lines; Improve major agronomic traits of current long-grain cultivars that include disease tolerance, plant type, grains/panicle, and maturity by crossing among the identified parents and selecting promising progeny rows; Improve doubled haploid (DH) technology to create sizable populations of long-grain crosses for selection by enhancing anther culturability of long-grain crosses and using bridging parents; Select progeny rows (F3-F6 and DH2 to DH4) and test the advanced selections through preliminary yield (PY), Uniform Regional Nursery (URN), commercial advanced (CA), and advanced yield (AY)tests; Develop new long-grain varieties suitable to Louisiana through genetic evaluation of overall agronomic traits.

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Current rice yields are not at the level of its potential. Disease pressure is high in Louisiana. Quality of current varieties needs to be improved. The purpose of this project is to develop new high yielding, disease resistant, improved quality long-grain varieties.

PROJECT CONTACT:

Name: Chu, Q. R.
Phone: 337-788-7531
Fax: 337-788-7553
Email: qchu@agctr.lsu.edu