Rice Breeding in Iran, Current Status and Future Perspective

Rice Breeding in Iran, Current Status and Future Perspective

Rice is one of the most important sources of energy for Iranians. Currently, approximately four million tons of paddy are produced annually in 19 provinces of the country. More than 50 new rice cultivars have been introduced in Iran over the last 60 years. The average yield of rice in these years has increased from 2 t ha‒1 to nearly 5 t ha‒1 in farmers’ paddies, although some improved cultivars can produce up to 9 t ha‒1. The main strategy of rice breeding in Iran during the first 40 years was purifying local populations, introducing foreign lines, and producing high-yielding cultivars by cross-breeding and mutagenesis. Meanwhile, the production of high-quality cultivars from crosses between local varieties and high-yielding cultivars has been more emphasized recently. In this review, along with introducing improved varieties of Iranian rice and their characteristics, different improvement methods for creating these varieties are mentioned. Along with traditional breeding methods, it seems that Marker-assisted breeding and breeding by rational design can play important roles in the future of rice breeding in Iran.