Rice crops in a changing climate

Training the next generation of rice breeders in Vietnam

Scientists from the Earlham Institute, in partnership with Agricultural Genetics Institute (AGI), have begun their bioinformatics training programme in Vietnam. 

The advanced training will equip Vietnamese scientists with the skills in bioinformatics and genomics for crop analysis, and ensure future knowledge for their peers.

The EI team visited Vietnam several times during 2017 and 2018, funded by the Newton Fund through the British Council. They carried out training workshops in advanced bioinformatics tools to achieve precision breeding techniques for much larger rice yields, and at the same time to learn the techniques and diversity involved in rice breeding in Vietnam. This collaboration also created opportunities to work alongside world-leading scientists with experience in rice breeding and agronomy.

Exploring the diversity of traditional rice varieties in Vietnam for improved crop resilience

Earlham Institute researchers are part of an international collaboration with genebanks and rice breeders in Vietnam aiming to identify varieties that can survive an increasingly unpredictable climate. 

The unparalleled geography and history of Vietnam, together with its diverse range of ecosystems and latitudinal range, mean it has been blessed with a vast diversity of rice landraces. 

To fully understand the uniqueness and potential of this native crop diversity, the research team analysed 672 Vietnamese rice genomes; 616 were newly sequenced, which encompass the range of rice varieties grown in the diverse ecosystems found throughout the country. 

The team of scientists discovered a previously overlooked ‘I5 Indica’ large rice subpopulation in some regions of Vietnam, which had not been used before to produce the more common elite rice varieties resulting from previous rice improvement studies. 

These locally adapted rice varieties provide a potential source of novel genes that carry important agronomic traits, which can potentially be leveraged by future rice breeding programmes. 

This will help with a new generation of ‘Green Super Rice’, designed to lower production input while enhancing nutritional content and suitability for growing on marginal lands - resulting in a sustainable and resilient rice to better withstand extreme weather conditions.

Above Pictures Credit: ©2014CIAT/GeorginaSmith