Scientists have created the first-ever Asian rice pangenome, encompassing genetic data from 144 wild and cultivated rice varieties.

What is a Pangenome?

• A pangenome is a comprehensive genomic resource that includes both core genes shared by all individuals and unique genes found in some individuals of a species.
• It offers a more complete picture of genetic variation than a traditional reference genome.
  

Significance for Rice Genetics and Food Security

• Global Importance: Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple food for two-thirds of the global population and a critical crop in Asia.
• Genetic Benefits: Understanding genetic diversity helps improve disease tolerance, climate resilience, and nutritional quality of rice.
• Domestication Link: The study strengthens knowledge of rice domestication, linking modern rice to wild progenitor O. rufipogon, particularly the Or-IIIa group, ancestor of japonica rice.
• Stress Adaptation: The pangenome offers genetic resources to enhance rice’s adaptation to environmental stress and regenerative potential.

Differences between a Pangenome and a Reference Genome

Applications in Crop Resilience and Breeding

• The pangenome enables scientists to:
  • Develop new rice cultivars with better resistance to drought and diseases
  • Transfer beneficial traits from wild rice to cultivated rice
  • Address climate change impacts, such as yield loss and increased arsenic uptake
• Using ‘PacBio high-fidelity’(HiFi) sequencing technology and computational methods, the analysis revealed 3.87 billion base pairs of novel genetic sequences.
  • These Genome data can guide precision breeding for yield enhancement, stress tolerance, and climate adaptation.
    

Status of India’s Rice Production and Research

• India produced a record 220 million tonnes of rice in 2024–25 with an average yield of 4.2 tonnes/ha.
• In 2024, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) announced genome-edited varieties like Samba Mahsuri and MTU 1010 with improved drought resistance and higher yields.
• India’s rising temperatures (0.7°C since 1901; 2024 was the hottest year on record) make such research critical for national food security.