Haploid technology- A potential tool for crop improvement in Rice

Plant tissue culture techniques are recognized as useful instruments in crop improvement. Among these haploid technology is one in which haploid embryos are regenerated from male and female gametes for the production of haploid and double haploid plants who are homozygous in origin. In this technique, in vitro anther culture stands out and is an increasingly powerful tool when integrated with breeding programs as it results in pure lines. To develop a genotype specific methodology for double haploidy 8F1, 1F2 and 1F3 rice genotypes have been obtained from NSL. The focus of this project was to standardize an efficient protocol for double haploid production for all the genotypes, optimize media components especially hormones and cold stress to induce direct embryogenesis, plant regeneration and chromosome doubling in haploid regenerants to get double haploids. From our work we have developed some double haploid lines which are far superior to the hybrid parent. Some of the improved features are double haploid lines with high aroma, good cooking quality, high yielding, lodging tolerant and BLB and Blast resistant.