Research Progress in Pre-harvest Sprouting of Rice

Abstract

Pre-harvest sprouting is a serious problem in global agricultural production. After a long period of domestication, the dormancy level of cultivated crops is generally lower than that of wild ancestors. Although the shortening of dormancy period may increase the reproductive generation and agricultural production value of crops, premature dormancy release will cause crop sprouting before harvest, resulting in huge economic losses. In this paper, the physiological mechanism, QTL and genes, prevention and control of pre-harvest sprouting are systematically reviewed. It is believed that high water content is the precondition of rice seed germination and pre-harvest sprouting, during this process, the increases of amylase activity and soluble sugar content provide energy for pre-harvest sprouting; the contents of plant hormones ABA and GA in rice grains and the sensitivity of seeds to them are the key factors to determine the pre-harvest germination. In recent years, the excavation of QTL and its functional genes related to pre-harvest sprouting will provide an important basis for clarifying the mechanism of pre-harvest sprouting in rice and breeding resistant varieties. In the long run, through extensive evaluation of rice germplasm resources, especially searching for the lost dormancy genes in wild rice and local varieties, and gathering such genes through molecular breeding, breeding lines (varieties) resistant to sprouting, it is of great significance to solve the problem of sprouting, improve rice yield and quality, and ensure national food security.

Keywords

• pre-harvest sprouting
• dormancy
• qtl
• gene
• germplasm resource
• inhibition of pre-harvest sprouting