Surfing parameter hyperspaces under climate change scenarios to design future rice ideotypes

Area of Science:

• Agronomy
• Plant Breeding
• Climate Science

Background:

• Global food demand necessitates sustainable cropping systems and new crop cultivars.
• Identifying high-yield rice traits is crucial for diverse environmental conditions worldwide.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify rice phenotypic traits offering the largest yield benefits across varied environments in the Philippines, India, China, Japan, and Italy.
• To assess the feasibility of selected ideotypes considering climate change and breeding program resources.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the ecophysiological model WARM and sensitivity analysis to evaluate traits related to light interception, photosynthesis, stress tolerance, disease resistance, and grain quality.
• Focused on model parameters directly linked to breeder-worked phenotypic traits for in vivo feasibility.
• Incorporated current and projected climate data, considering weather variable impacts and genotype-by-environment (GxE) interactions.

Main Results:

• Breeding for disease resistance and tolerance to cold/heat-induced spikelet sterility can yield benefits comparable to improving canopy structure and photosynthetic efficiency.
• Potential gains from enhanced grain quality traits are limited by weather variability and GxE interactions.
• District-specific ideotypes were identified using a novel index balancing productivity and feasibility.

Conclusions:

• Disease resistance and abiotic stress tolerance are key targets for enhancing rice yield across diverse climates.
• Genotype-by-environment interactions significantly influence the effectiveness of grain quality improvements.
• Tailored breeding strategies are essential for developing climate-resilient and productive rice cultivars.