Molecular Breeding for Incorporation of Submergence Tolerance and Durable Bacterial Blight Resistance into the Popular Rice Variety ‘Ranidhan’

Ranidhan is a popular late-maturing rice variety of Odisha state, India. The farmers of the state suffer heavy loss in years with flash floods as the variety is sensitive to submergence. Bacterial blight (BB) disease is a major yield-limiting factor, and the variety is susceptible to the disease. BB resistance genes Xa21, xa13, and xa5, along with the Sub1 QTL, for submergence stress tolerance were transferred into the variety using marker-assisted backcross breeding approach. Foreground selection using direct and closely linked markers detected the progenies carrying all four target genes in the BC(1)F(1), BC(2)F(1), and BC(3)F(1) generations, and the positive progenies carrying these genes with maximum similarity to the recipient parent, Ranidhan, were backcrossed into each segregating generation. Foreground selection in the BC(1)F(1) generation progenies detected all target genes in 11 progenies. The progeny carrying all target genes and similar to the recipient parent in terms of phenotype was backcrossed, and a total of 321 BC(2)F(1) seeds were produced. Ten progenies carried all target genes/QTL in the BC(2)F(1) generation. Screening of the BC(3)F(1) progenies using markers detected 12 plants carrying the target genes. A total of 1270 BC(3)F(2) seeds were obtained from the best BC(3)F(1) progeny. Foreground selection in the BC(3)F(2) progenies detected four plants carrying the target genes in the homozygous condition. The bioassay of the pyramided lines conferred very high levels of resistance to the predominant isolates of bacterial blight pathogen. These BB pyramided lines were submergence-tolerant and similar to Ranidhan in 13 agro-morphologic and grain quality traits; hence, they are likely to be adopted by farmers.