Item No. 1 of 2

INVESTIGATOR: LINSCOMBE, S. D.

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

MULTIPLE GENERATION RICE BREEDING NURSERY

OBJECTIVES: To produce additional generations of advancement and selection of rice breeding lines per year, thus, minimizing the time need to develop new varieties of rice; to evaluate rice breeding lines under additional environmental conditions during the selection and purification process; and to increase seed of exceptional promising selections from the breeding program.

APPROACH: Outstanding selections, segregating breeding lines, seed increase blocks, and elite germplasm will be grown at rice nursery facilities at Lajas, PR. Selections from the Lajas nursery may be advanced in serial plants or returned to Crowley for evaluation. Operation, maintenance, and management of the year-round nursery facilities will be in accordance with the written cooperative agreement between the agricultural experiment stations of Arkansas, Louisiana, Puerto Rico, and Texas.

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: In the development of rice varieties, it is necessary to evaluate segregating lines through a number of generations. This project allows growing additional generations of rice breeding lines per year, thus, decreasing the length of time necessary to deliver new improved varieties to the Louisaina rice industry.

PROGRESS: 2001/01 TO 2001/12
The Rice Breeding Project utilizes the winter nursery facilities at the University of Puerto Rico Research Station near Lajas. Two conventional rice line nurseries were grown in 2001. The first was seeded in December 2000 and harvested in April 2001. The second was seeded in mid August and harvested in early December. Both nurseries were made up primarily of F2 and F3 generation material. Seed increases of several promising lines also were grown. In addition, a 3,000-row nursery seeded in October 2000 was made up primarily of early generation Clearfield populations.

IMPACT: 2001/01 TO 2001/12
The nursery is important in timely delivery of new rice varieties to the Louisiana and southern U.S. rice industry. The use of this nursery typically allows new varieties to be released 1 to 2 years early.

PUBLICATIONS: 2001/01 TO 2001/12
Linscombe, S.D., Sha, X.Y., Bearb, K.F., Howard, A.M., McCrory, J., Theunissen, B.W., Cramer, S.W., and Hoffpauir, H.L. 2000. Rice Breeding. Ann. Res. Report, Rice Research Station, La. Agri. Exp. Stn., LSU Agricultural Center, 92:3-87.

PROJ CONTACT:

Name: MUSICK, J. A.
Phone: 337-788-7531
Fax: 337-788-7553
Email: dregan@agctr.lsu.edu

Item No. 2 of 2

INVESTIGATOR: Linscombe, S. D.

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

GENETIC IMPROVEMENT OF RICE FOR LOUISIANA PRODUCTION

OBJECTIVES: To develop superior rice varieties for Louisiana and Gulf South production with emphasis on improvements in yield, quality, disease resistance, seedling vigor, earliness, ratoon potential, lodging resistance, environmental stability, and herbicide and insect tolerance; to develop non-conventional rice varieties through genetic engineering and mutation breeding; to conduct related research with emphasis on rice varietal improvement, adaptability, and uniformity; and to conduct studies related to the genetic improvement of rice for alternatives other than grain production for harvest, such as improvement of rice as a forage source for crawfish and as a source of feed for wildlife.

APPROACH: Develop new genetic populations in all commercial classes of rice by artificial hybridization, mutagenesis, and biotechnology. Advance these populations while selecting for desirable characteristics. Evaluate advanced selections in replicated tests over years and locations to identify superior lines. Increase superior lines through the Rice Research Station Foundation Seed Program. Conduct concurrent studies related to varietal improvement.

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The development of new, superior rice varieties can have positive effects on the economic viability of the Louisiana rice industry. This project develops new improved rice varieties for Louisiana and the Gulf South region.

PROGRESS: 2001/01 TO 2001/12
The Rice Breeding Project made over 500 new crosses and backcrosses for varietal improvement in 2001. Four hundred and twenty-seven F1 populations were produced and 440 F2 populations were grown for selection. The breeding nursery contained 63,500 panicle rows for advancement, selection, and purification. Yield and quality testing included the Uniform Regional Nursery, the Commercial Advanced test (seven locations), and the Preliminary Yield tests (850 lines in early evaluation). Two promising lines are in the final stages of purification prior to potential release. These include 0002174 (a high yielding, high quality, semidwarf long grain) and 9902134 (a high yielding short grain). The project released CL-121 and CL-141 Clearfield varieties for commercial production. Research continues on the development of an agronomically superior long-grain Liberty-Link line for commercialization. Related research includes date of planting studies, effect of harvest moisture on milling yield studies, herbicide tolerance research and evaluation of several lines with novel transgenic traits.

IMPACT: 2001/01 TO 2001/12
New varieties will improve the economic viability of the rice industry. Clearfield and Liberty-Link technologies will improve the control of red rice and other rice weeds and result in improved yield and quality. In addition, this technology will have important environmental benefits in water quality and soil conservation.

PUBLICATIONS: 2001/01 TO 2001/12
1. Linscombe, S.D., Jodari, F., Bollich, P.K., Groth, D.E., White, L.M., Chu, Q.R., and Dunand, R.T. 2001. Registration of `Earl' Rice. Crop Science 41(6):2003-2004.
2. Linscombe, S.D., Sha, X.Y., Bearb, K.F., Howard, A.M., McCrory, J., Theunissen, B.W., Cramer, S.W., and Hoffpauir, H.L. 2000. Rice Breeding. Ann. Res. Report, Rice Research Station, La. Agri. Exp. Stn., LSU Agricultural Center, 92:3-87.

PROJ CONTACT:

Name: Musick, J. A.
Phone: 337-788-7531
Fax: 337-788-7553
Email: dregan@agctr.lsu.edu