Ozone Tolerant Rice for Bangladesh: From Molecular Understanding of Tolerance Mechanisms to Field Application

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Michael Frei
• Subject Area: Plant Cultivation, Plant Nutrition, Agricultural Technology ; Plant Breeding and Plant Pathology
• Term: from 2019 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 426004147

Tropospheric ozone concentrations in Bangladesh have risen dramatically in the past twenty years and will continue to rise until the middle of the 21st century. Ozone thus threatens the food security of millions of rice consumers due to its negative impacts on rice yield and quality. Previous work has unraveled genetic and physiological aspects of ozone tolerance in rice, including the mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL), and the molecular characterization of an underlying candidate gene OsORAP1. This project expands upon these findings, and aims to develop rice adapted to changing atmospheric conditions in Bangladesh. The project is composed of two work packages: (i) Multi-location field experiments will be conducted over two rice seasons using the chemical ozone protectant ethylenediurea (EDU). This will provide the first comprehensive ozone impact assessment and cultivar screening ever conducted in Bangladesh. It will provide information regarding temporal and spatial patters of ozone damage and tolerance ranking of twenty widely grown rice cultivars. (ii) A marker assisted breeding approach will be conducted to introgress previously characterized tolerance QTL into ozone sensitive local elite background. Selected breeding lines will be evaluated both in terms of physiological ozone response and agronomic performance. This project will advance our understanding of ozone response and tolerance in rice and contribute to the development of tolerant germplasm in one of the most populated developing countries in the world.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Bangladesh
• International Co-Applicant: Dr. Mirza Mofazzal Islam
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Md Ashrafuzzaman