Breeding Hybrid Rice with Genes Resistant to Diseases and Insects Using Marker-Assisted Selection and Evaluation of Biological Assay

Developing elite hybrid rice varieties is one important objective of rice breeding programs. Several genes related to male sterilities, restores, and pollinators have been identified through map-based gene cloning within natural variations of rice. These identified genes are good targets for introducing genetic traits in molecular breeding. This study was conducted to breed elite hybrid lines with major genes related to hybrid traits and disease/insect resistance in 240 genetic resources and F₁ hybrid combinations of rice. Molecular markers were reset for three major hybrid genes (S5, Rf3, Rf4) and thirteen disease/insect resistant genes (rice bacterial blight resistance genes Xa3, Xa4, xa5, Xa7, xa13, Xa21; blast resistance genes Pita, Pib, Pi5, Pii; brown planthopper resistant genes Bph18(t) and tungro virus resistance gene tsv1). Genotypes were then analyzed using molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS). Biological assay was then performed at the Red River Delta region in Vietnam using eleven F₁ hybrid combinations and two control vatieties. Results showed that nine F₁ hybrid combinations were highly resistant to rice bacterial blight and blast. Finally, eight F₁ hybrid rice varieties with resistance to disease/insect were selected from eleven F₁ hybrid combinations. Their characteristics such as agricultural traits and yields were then investigated. These F₁ hybrid rice varieties developed with major genes related to hybrid traits and disease/insect resistant genes could be useful for hybrid breeding programs to achieve high yield with biotic and abiotic resistance.