Stripping off the rice panicle: induced genetic variation awakens the sheathed spikelet for a better yield

Abstract

The rice panicle is the reproductive structure that contains the seeds, so a productive spikelet in a panicle contributes to increased yield. A sheathed panicle covers a signifcant portion of spikelets with the fag leaf and impairs effective pollination which subsequently compromises the yield. Through induced mutagenesis and integrated molecular breeding strategies, Ballichatla et al. (2024) uncovered the intricate regulation of complete panicle exsertion (CPE) in rice. This study also delineates a set of high-confdence novel genomic loci and superior gene alleles which have a substantial translational signifcance in rice crop improvement towards future food security.