NH787 EMS mutant of rice variety Nagina22 exhibits higher phosphate use efficiency

Rice (Oryza sativa L.), a major dietary source, is often cultivated in soils poor in available inorganic orthophosphate (Pi), which is a key nutrient for growth and development. Poor soils are amended by phosphorus (P) fertilizer, which is derived from the non-renewable rock phosphate reserves. Therefore, there is a need for developing rice varieties with high productivity under low P conditions. At the ICAR-IIRR, ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutagenized rice genotype Nagina22 (N22) were screened for high grain yield in Pi-deprived soil, which led to the identification of ~ 10 gain-of-function mutants including NH787. Here, detailed comparative morphophysiological, biochemical, and molecular analyses of N22 and NH787 were carried out in hydroponics and potting soil under different Pi regimes. Under Pi-deprived condition, compared with N22, NH787 exhibited higher root and vegetative biomass, the number of tillers, and grain yield. The augmented agronomic traits of NH787 were corroborated with significantly higher photosynthetic rate, pollen fertility, stigma receptivity, and the activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). Further, several genes involved in the maintenance of Pi homeostasis (GPH) were differentially regulated. The study thus revealed a wide-spectrum influence of the mutation in NH787 that contributed towards its higher Pi use efficiency (PUE).