Genetic Enhancement of Dubraj, a Specialty Rice Through Pedigree Approach Employing Marker Based Selection for Plant Stature, Aroma and Grain Quality

Grain quality is an important feature of the marketing strategies of the rice industry in both domestic and international markets as quality influences the market price. With the demand for aromatic rice increasing steadily, export of short grain aromatic rices having premium grain quality is a viable option as the cultivation of basmati rices is limited to a specific geographic region. However, these native premium native aromatic rices require significant improvements in yield, plant stature and response to fertilizer and as grain quality traits are complex, their retention in the recombinants is a major challenge. With the recent advances in molecular markers, selection of recombinants with desirable traits is feasible through precise tracking of the target traits. The present study reports the successful recovery of the premium grain quality traits of Dubraj in IET 21044 (L9), a derivative from Pusa 44/Dubraj cross combination using pedigree approach employing markers associated with plant stature, aroma and grain quality and stringent phenotypic selection. The validation of the superior yield potential and premium grain quality of IET 21044 in the multi location evaluation trials over a 4 year period resulted in its release thus making it the first semi dwarf, high yielding, short grain aromatic rice released in India at the national level. The study was a successful demonstration of the limitless potential of the marker technology in breeding specialty rices.