Thoughts and Practice on Some Problems about Research and Application of Two-Line Hybrid Rice

The main problems about research and application of two-line hybrid rice were reviewed, including the confusing nomenclature and male sterile lines classification, the unclear characteristics of photoperiod and temperature responses and the unsuitable site selection for male sterile line and hybrid dce seed production. In order to efficiently and accurately use dual-purpose genic male sterile lines, four types, including PTGMS （photo-thermo-sensitive genic male sterile rice）, TGMS （thermo-sensitive genic male sterile rice）, reverse PTGMS and reverse TGMS, were proposed. A new idea for explaining the mechanism of sterility in dual-purpose hybrid rice was proposed. The transition from sterile to fertile was involved in the cooperative regulation of major-effect sterile genes and photoperiod and/or temperature sensitive ones. The minor-effect genes with accumulative effect on sterility were important factors that affected the critical temperature of sterility transfer. In order to make better use of dual-purpose lines, the characterization of responses to photoperiod and temperature of PTGMS should be made and the identification method for the characterization of photoperiod and temperature responses of PTGMS should also be put forward. The optimal ecological site for seed production could be determined according to the historical climate data and the requirements for the meteorological conditions during the different periods of seed production.

Research on Theories and Techniques of Irrigation for Safeguarding Seed Production of Two-Line Hybrid Rice

By inducing frequency, intensity and duration of lower temperature in the middle and last ten-day periods in August in the rice-growing areas of southern China, increasing temperature for safe seed production was defined as 2℃. During the sensitive period of fertility, characters of panicle height and canopy structure of TGMS rice, Pei＇ai64S, were measured. Results showed that temperature changes caused by irrigation in fields were below 40 cm of rice plant, and heating effect was significant at 20 cm when the temperature was increased by 3.1 ℃. For the present study, the following irrigation techniques were put forth： the water depth of 15-20 cm, current water used, irrigating after 17：00 and bailing at 10：00 in sunny or cloudy weather, irrigating on whole day, in shady or rainy weather, increasing inflows and outflows in large fields. In the present experiment, pollen fertility and self-fertilized seed setting rate accepted that the techniques were feasible and effective for against lower temperature and safeguarding seed production of two-line hybrid rice.

Causes of Poor Grain Plumpness of Two-Line Hybrids and Their Relationships to the Contents of Hormones in the Rice Grain

This study was designed to elucidate the grain filling characteristics and the causes of poor grain plumpness of some two-line hybrid rice combinations and their hormonal mechanism. Six varieties, including three two-line hybrid rice combinations, that show differences in seed-setting and grain filling, were used. And the contents of starch, sucrose, zeatin （Z） ＋ zeatin riboside （ZR）, indole-3-acetic acid （IAA）, and abscisic acid （ABA）, the ethylene evolution rate, activities of sucrose synthase （SuSase） and starch synthase （StSase） in grains, the seed-setting and grain filling rate were investigated. The correlations amongst these were analyzed. The results showed that the poor grain filling of two-line hybrids was mainly attributed to the higher unfilled grain rate and the lower filling degree of inferior grains. During the early and mid grain filling periods, the sucrose content in inferior grains was greater than that in superior grains for the combinations with poor grain filling, indicating that the substrate concentration was not the principal factor for their slow grain filling and poor grain plumpness of the inferior grains of two-line hybrids. Z ＋ ZR, IAA, and ABA in superior grains were obviously greater than those in inferior grains at early grain filling stage. The maximum and mean contents of Z ＋ ZR, IAA, and ABA were positively very significantly correlated with the maximum and mean grain-filling rate, filling degree, and grain weight. The evolution rate of ethylene was greater in inferior grains than in superior grains and greater for the combinations with poor grain plumpness than those with good grain plumpness at the early or mid filling stages. The evolution rate of ethylene was negatively and significantly correlated with the grain filling rate, the grain filling degree, and the grain weight. Spraying ethephon （ethylene-releasing agent） at the early grain filling stage increased the evolution rate of ethylene, reduced the ABA content and activities of SuSase and StSase, and decreased the grain filling degree and the grain weight. The results were reversed when cobatous nitrate （an inhibitor of ethylene synthesis） was applied. The results suggested that the hormones and their balance play a role in the regulation of grain filling and enzymatic activities, and the poor grain filling is attributed to the low contents of Z ＋ ZR, IAA, and ABA, and the high evolution rate of ethylene in the inferior grains of some two-line hybrid rice combinations. The results suggested that hormones play important roles in the grain filling of some two-line hybrid rice combinations, and their filling degree can be improved by regulating the hormonal contents.

Breeding of a Water-saving Drought-resistant Two-line Hybrid Rice Variety Wanliangyou 1008

Drought is one of the important factors limiting rice production,and the application of new water-saving rice varieties is urgently needed in rice production.Wanliangyou 1008 bred by Institute of Rice Research,Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences is a new two line hybrid rice variety with some good traits,including high drought resistance,high yield and good disease resistance.Wanlingyou 1008 was obtained by crossing drought-resistant high-quality restorer line DJ1008 and disease-resistant two-line sterile line Wan 25S.In this paper,the breeding process,characteristics and seed production technology of the variety were described in detail.

Breeding and Application Techniques of a New Rice Variety Liliang-you 3822 with High Yield and Disease Resistance

Liliangyou 3822 is a novel indica hybrid rice variety that exhibits disease resistance,high yield,lodging resistance,and late maturity.It employs a self-selected two-line sterile line,Li 38S,and a self-selected restorer line,R22.This variety was subjected to a regional test of indica late-maturing groups in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in 2020.The results demonstrated that the average yield of the variety was 9.95 t/hm 2,which was 10.67%higher than that of the control Fengliangyou 4,indicating a highly significant yield increase.In the continuous test in 2021,the average yield was 9.74 t/hm 2,representing a 6.52%increase over the control,which also exhibited a significant increase.Finally,the average yield of the two years regional test was 9.84 t/hm 2,which was 8.58%higher than that of the control.In the 2021 production test,the average yield of the variety was 9.32 t/hm 2,which was 12.19%higher than that of the control,indicating a remarkably significant yield increase.In 2022,the variety was validated by the National Crop Variety Approval Committee(GSD 20220143).

Practice and Thought on Developing Hybrid Rice for Super High Yield by Exploiting Inter-subspecific Heterosis

Since the breakthrough of grain yield owing to the development of dwarf rice and three-line system hybrid rice, rice breeding for high yield hardly had showed significant progress in the next successive two decades. It was considered that utilizing heterosis between subspecific varieties (Oryza sativa L.) would be an effective approach to increase yield further. During 1987-1993, an indica-japonica hybrid Yayou 2 yielded as high as 10.5 t/ha; however, it failed to be commercialized because of seed purity problem due to non-uniform emasculation by chemical agent in seed production, and sensitivity of seed setting in Ft plants to environmental conditions. In the past decade, two inter-subspeific hybrids, Liangyoupeijiu (Peiai 64S/9311, javanica/indica) and Liangyou E32 (Peiai 64S/E32, javanica/ laponica); both of them exhibited grain yield higher than 10.5 t/ha, and were widely judged as the pioneers of super hybrid rice. Liangyoupeijiu has been successfully popularized over 4 million hectare in wide climatic areas, while Liangyou E32 made a yield record and offered a model of plant ideotype for super hybrid rice. It was considered that in combination with plant ideotype, active physiological functions, and wide-range adaptability to ecological conditions, exploitation of indica-japonica heterosis would be the key approach for super hybrid rice breeding.

Status and Prospects of Hybrid Rice Breeding in Jiangsu, China

Research on hybrid rice in Jiangsu Province, China began in 1970. Great progress has been made since then, which can be divided into three stages according to the development of hybrid rice breeding and production in Jiangsu Province. The first stage was beginning stage from 1970 to 1980, when progress was mainly made in cytoplasmic male sterile line breeding. The second stage could be described as developing stage, from 1980 to 1995, when indica hybrid rice was rapidly popularized, and japonica hybrid rice became popular later. From 1996, hybrid rice breeding in Jiangsu Province entered the third stage, when both indica and japonica hybrid rice breeding in the three-line system or intersubspecific hybrid rice breeding in the two-line system made a great breakthrough with the successful breeding of the hybrids Feyou 559, 9 You 138 and Liangyoupeijiu. The developing trend of hybrid rice breeding in Jiangsu Province is also discussed.

Improving the resistance of the rice PTGMS line Feng39S by pyramiding blast,bacterial blight,and brown planthopper resistance genes

Knowledge of rice(Oryza sativa L.)genes and various DNA markers can be used in genomic breeding programs aimed at developing improved elite rice cultivars.We used an efficient genomic breeding approach to pyramid four resistance genes(Pi2,Xa23,Bph14,and Bph15)in the popular photoperiod-and thermosensitive genic male sterile(PTGMS)rice line Feng39S.We performed foreground selection for the target genes,followed by recombinant selection and background selection.This process reduced the sizes of the genomic segments harboring the target genes(566.8 kb for Pi2,1143.9 kb for Xa23,774.7 kb for Bph14,and 1574.9 kb for Bph15)and accelerated the recovery of the recurrent parent genome to proportions ranging from 98.77%to 99.16%,thus resulting in four near-isogenic lines.To assemble the four resistance genes in Feng39S,we performed a double-way cross combined with foreground and background selection to generate two improved lines of Feng39S(Pi2+Xa23+Bph14+Bph15)with a recurrent parent genome recovery of 98.98%.The two lines showed agronomic performance,grain quality,and fertility–sterility transition characteristics similar to those of the original Feng39S line.The newly developed PTGMS lines and corresponding hybrid combinations were resistant to various field blast isolates and seven representative isolates of bacterial blight.At the seedling stage,the lines also showed resistance against brown planthopper.This study provides an efficient and accurate genomic breeding approach for introducing desirable traits into PTGMS lines.