Marker-assisted introgression of the major bacterial blight resistance gene, Xa21 and blast resistance gene, Pi54 into RPHR-1005, the restorer line of the popular rice hybrid, DRRH3

• Published in: Journal of plant biochemistry and biotechnology Vol. 25; no. 4; pp. 400 - 409
• Main Authors: Kumar, V. Abhilash, Balachiranjeevi, C. H., Naik, S. Bhaskar, Rambabu, R., Rekha, G., Madhavi, K. R., Harika, G., Vijay, S., Pranathi, K., Hajira, S. K., Srivastava, A., Mahadevaswamy, H. K., Anila, M., Yugander, A., Aruna, J., Prasad, A. S. Hari, Madhav, M. S, Laha, G. S., Viraktamath, B. C., Balachandran, S. M., Senguttuvel, P., Kemparaju, B., Babu, V. Ravindra, Sundaram, R. M., Prasad, M. S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Delhi Springer India 01-10-2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Bacteria; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Blight; Cell Biology; Fertility; Genes; Grain; Hybrids; Life Sciences; Markers; Original Article; Plant Biochemistry; Plant breeding; Protein Science; Receptors; Restoration; Rice; Rice blast; RPHR-1005; Marker-assisted backcross breeding; Bacterial blight resistance; DRRH3; Blast resistance; Fertility restoration
• ISSN: 0971-7811; 0974-1275
• DOI: 10.1007/s13562-016-0352-z

The elite Indian rice hybrid, DRRH3 is highly susceptible to two major diseases, bacterial blight (BB) and blast, which limit its productivity significantly. In the present study, we have introgressed two major genes, viz.,
Xa21
and
Pi54
conferring resistance against BB and blast, respectively into RPHR-1005, the male parent of DRRH3 through marker-assisted backcross breeding (MABB) and analyzed the backcross derived plants for their resistance against BB and blast. RPBio Patho-2 was used as a donor for both the resistance genes. Gene-specific markers were used for the foreground selection of
Xa21
and
Pi54
at each stage of backcrossing and markers specific for the major fertility restorer genes,
Rf3
and
Rf4
were used only at BC
1
F
1
generation for foreground selection
.
Background selection was done using 62 polymorphic SSR markers and marker-assisted backcrossing was continued till BC
3
generation. At BC
3
F
4
, through intensive phenotype-based selections 15 promising lines (ABLs) possessing high level of resistance against BB and blast, high yield, fine-grain type, complete fertility restoration along with better panicle exsertion and taller plant type as compared to RPHR-1005 were identified and test crossed with APMS 6 A, the female parent of DRRH3. The newly derived hybrids (i.e. improved versions of DRRH3) were observed to possess high level of resistance against BB and blast along with medium-slender grain type and yield level better than or equivalent to that of DRRH3. Our study exemplifies the utility of MABB for targeted improvement of multiple traits in hybrid rice.