Description

One of the most important cereal crops, rice provides food to more than half of the world population. Various abiotic stresses―currently impacting an estimated 60% of crop yields―are projected to increase in severity and frequency due to climate change. In light of the threat of global food grain insecurity, interest in molecular rice breeding has intensified in recent years. Progress has been made, but there remains an urgent need to develop stress-tolerant, bio-fortified rice varieties that provide consistent and high-quality yields under both stress and non-stress conditions.