Genetic modification of plant architecture and variety improvement in rice

• Published in: Heredity Vol. 101; no. 5; pp. 396 - 404
• Main Authors: Yang, X.C, Hwa, C.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.11.2008; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agronomy; anatomy & histology; Biological research; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; branching; Cereal crops; Crop science; Cytogenetics; Ecology; Evolutionary Biology; Genetic engineering; genetic improvement; genetics; Genotype & phenotype; Grain; growth & development; Human Genetics; Leaves; literature reviews; Oryza; Oryza - anatomy & histology; Oryza - genetics; Oryza - growth & development; Oryza sativa; Phenotype; plant architecture; plant breeding; plant genetics; Plant Genetics and Genomics; plant morphology; Plants; Plants, Genetically Modified; Plants, Genetically Modified - anatomy & histology; Plants, Genetically Modified - genetics; Plants, Genetically Modified - growth & development; review; Rice; stems; tillering; variety improvement; ideotype; genetic modification; rice; plant architecture
• ISSN: 0018-067X; 1365-2540; 1365-2540
• DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2008.90

The structure of the aerial part of a plant, referred to as plant architecture, is subject to strict genetic control, and grain production in cereal crops is governed by an array of agronomic traits. Rice is one of the most important cereal crops and is also a model plant for molecular biological research. Recently, significant progress has been made in isolating and collecting rice mutants that exhibit altered plant architecture. In this article we summarize the recent progress in understanding the basic patterning mechanisms involved in the regulation of tillering (branching) pattern, stem structure and leaf arrangement in rice plants. We discuss the relationship between the genetic modification of plant architecture and the improvement of pivotal agronomic traits in rice.