Conservation and Utilization of Genetic Resources of Wild Rice in China

Abstract

The abundant genetic resources of wild rice in China represent a key gene pool for modern rice breeding, contributing to food production and agricultural development in China and worldwide. Between the 1970s and the 2010s, two national wild rice surveys were carried out in China. More than 20 000 accessions of three species Oryza rufipogon, O. officinalis and O. meyeriana have been conserved ex situ. An in situ conservation system has also been set up to protect notable and endangered populations. This review summarized the geographical distribution of wild rice in China, the current status of conservation, the discovery of elite genes, and the application of research into the origin and domestication of rice.

Keywords

• wild rice
• conservation
• valuable gene
• origin and domestication