Variability Assessment for Root and Drought Tolerance Traits and Genetic Diversity Analysis of Rice Germplasm using...

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Genetics
• Plant Breeding

Background:

• North East India harbors significant rice germplasm with potential for stress tolerance.
• Understanding genetic variation is crucial for improving rice against abiotic and biotic stresses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess genetic diversity and population structure in 114 rice genotypes from North East India.
• To evaluate phenotypic and genotypic variations for root, shoot, and drought tolerance traits.

Main Methods:

• Genotyping using 65 SSR markers and phenotypic data analysis.
• Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for diversity contribution.
• Bayesian clustering, Neighbor-Joining, and Principal Coordinate Analysis for population structure.
• Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) and FST for genetic differentiation.

Main Results:

• Phenotypic analysis revealed considerable variation in root, shoot, and drought tolerance traits.
• SSR markers detected 147 alleles with an average PIC of 0.51.
• Population structure analysis identified three distinct subpopulations with significant genetic differentiation (FST 0.152–0.222).
• Most genetic variation occurred among individuals within the rice accessions.

Conclusions:

• The diverse rice germplasm from North East India possesses valuable traits for root and drought tolerance.
• This germplasm can be effectively utilized in rice breeding programs to enhance stress resistance.