Genetic diversity and genetic analysis for pigmented pericarps in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

• Published in: Vegetos - International journal of plant research 2024, Vol.37 (6), p.2413-2422
• Main Authors: Van Quang, Tran, Van Loc, Nguyen, Trung, Nguyen Quoc, Huyen, Tran Thi, Van Huy, Le, Tuoi, Ngo Thi Hong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Life Sciences; Plant Anatomy/Development; Plant Breeding/Biotechnology; Plant Physiology
• ISSN: 2229-4473; 2229-4473
• DOI: 10.1007/s42535-023-00721-2

Exploring the genetic aspects of germplasm through genotypic and phenotypic analysis is a more reliable approach for guiding future breeding program and selecting novel rice varieties. This study was conducted to assess genetic diversity and genetic factors of 30 rice accessions using agronomic traits, anthocyanin content, and four pigment-controlling genes ( kala1 , kala3 , kala4 , and Rc ) in the pericarp. Our findings revealed significant variations among pigmented rice accessions. Growth duration ranged from 108 to 134 days, with plant heights (95.6-153.6 cm), flag leaf width (95.6-153.36 cm), flag leaf length (1.36-2.05 cm), panicle length (27.9-50.2 cm), and grain yield (3.08–8.72 tons/ha). Pericarp colors exhibited diversity, with classifications of brown, black, white, green, and red. Notably, black rice showcased higher anthocyanin content compared to brown and red variants, with anthocyanin levels spanning from 0 to 92.3 mg/100 g. Hierarchical clustering based on principal component analysis on all measured traits showed three major clusters with high genetic diversity. The genes kala1, kala3, kala4 and Rc were also identified as an influence on pigmented pericarp. Almost all 30 accessions contained 3 genes kala1, kala3, kala4. Ten accessions carrying the Rc gene were red, brown and black. These findings provided a good source of material for the pigmented rice breeding program, and can be used to conduct further research at the morphological and molecular level on the mechanism involved in the pigmented pericarp of rice grain.