From breeding to genome editing: strategies to prevent gambling with rice health

An IRRI Thursday seminar 

By Ricardo Oliva
Scientist II - Plant Pathology and Host Plant Resistance
Crop and Environmental Sciences Division (CESD)

15 September 2016
1:15-2:15 p.m.
Havener Auditorium
IRRI 

Abstract:

We can no longer afford to neglect rice health. Every time a resistance variety is overcome, adoption is compromised and the impact of other important traits is hindered. Despite efforts to generate resistance varieties, durability is under continuous threat by fast-evolving pathogen populations. Preventing disease epidemics therefore is not only a breeding exercise but also an interdisciplinary approach that requires a deeper understanding of the systems. To make informed decisions, we need to recognize the factors that account for pathogen dynamics, locally effective resistance genes, and conducive environments. In this presentation, we will discuss our strategies to connect resistance breeding, pathogen genomics, epidemiology, and deployment of resistance genes. We will also explain our attempts to explore artificial evolution using genome-editing tools (CRISPR and TALEN), the mining of rice diversity panels to capture novel sources of resistance, and the progress in microbiome research.