The Rice High Night Temperature Stress Research Group comprises of a consortium of participants across three states- Arkansas (AR), Oklahoma (OK) and Louisiana (LA)- where agriculture has a significant contribution to the economy. The AR-OK-LA Rice Consortium (AOLRC) propose to work together with complementary expertise, scientific approach and resources to address a looming problem of high night temperature (HNT) in their states and worldwide (figure below).
improving rice grain yield and quality under heat stress
AOLRC member contributions
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
- Dr. Andy Pereira: rice genomics and systems genetics, integrating rice crop genetic, genomic and phenotyping data into gene networks, and applications for industry
- Dr. Vibha Srivastava: Genetic transformation and gene editing
University of Arkansas, Little Rock
Dr. Mariya Khodakovskaya: HNT metabolomics of grain carbohydrates
Oklahoma State University
Dr. Ramanjulu Sunkar: small RNA & miRNA analysis
Louisiana State University
Dr. Adam Famoso: HNT-marker development & pedigree analysis of US/LSU cultivars
Why the Consortium?
While many abiotic stresses can occur locally or randomly in a season to decrease crop production, the global average temperature is predicted to increase consistently by 0.2°C each decade in the next 20-30 years, with future projections in the range of 1.4–5.8°C by the end of the century. In contrast, to ensure food security world food crops such as rice need to increase production by 0.6 to 0.9% annually.
During vegetative growth rice can tolerate high temperatures up to 35/25°C day/night regime, however higher temperatures than this critical level reducing plant height, tiller number, total dry weight and yield potential. Photosynthesis is reduced by 11.2% and 35.6% at temperatures of 3.6°C and 7.0°C higher than ambient during the heading to ripening stage.
Arkansas is the leading rice producer in the US accounting for ~50% of the US rice production, worth $2 billion annually. Currently, Arkansas rice farmers suffer yield losses due to increasing air temperature. In the coming years, more frequent and severe incidences of heat waves are expected, posing a major threat to rice production in Arkansas as well as other parts of the US.
This consortium was therefore formed with a need to develop a fast-track molecular-breeding strategy for improving heat tolerance in rice.
Overarching Goal
To dissect genetic mechanisms in rice involved in the high night temperature tolerance phenome using a systems genetics approach to provide a holistic understanding in gene networks that will be applied to design methods to improve heat tolerance in rice, to maintain grain yield and quality through traditional and biotechnological breeding strategies.
Broader Impact
The systems genetic study of heat tolerance in rice for grain yield and quality in subspecies japonica genotypes will enable better resolution for gene identification, the genetic and biochemical pathways involved in expression of the traits, and application in rice cultivars of value to US rice cultivation.