During the process of domestication, rice varieties have been selected primarily for high yield and resistance to diseases. During this process, other valuable traits conferring tolerance to flooding or salinity may unintentionally have been lost. In the project “Climate-smart African rice” we therefore seek inspiration among the wild rice relatives that naturally inhabit harsh environment in order to identify traits that can be used to improve flood or salinity tolerance of modern African varieties.
The flower of a wild rice relative; photo by IRRI.
