Screening Diverse Weedy Rice (Oryza sativa ssp.) Mini Germplasm for Tolerance to Heat and Complete Submergence Stress During Seedling Stage

Rice is a staple food for more than 3.5 billion people worldwide, with Asia producing almost 90% of the global rice yield. In US, primarily produced in four regions: Arkansas Grand Prairie, Mississippi Delta, Gulf Coast, and Sacramento Valley California. currently accounts 50% US. As temperatures continue to rise fluctuate, crop-breeding programs must evolve. Unfortunately, sudden submergence due climate change unpredictable flash flooding can cause yield reduction up 100% affect 20 million ha agricultural farmlands. Similarly, it has been demonstrated that higher 34°C spikelet infertility resulting 60% One major drawback developing abiotic stress-tolerant loss critical traits such as vegetative vigor, fertility, grain quality, which are essential increasing economic return farmers. To replace lost past breeding endeavors, weedy (WR) proposed source novel trait discovery improve programs. Therefore, goal this study was screen identify heat- submergence-tolerant WR accessions. A mini germplasm consisting seedlings at 3–4 leaf stage exposed heat (38°C) complete 21 days. After each treatment, height recorded every 7 days 28 days, biomass collected after treatment. The average across all accessions 19 21% 14 treatment (DAT) heat-stress 25 33% stress. 18 stress, respectively. Morphologically, DAT, 28% surviving <20% were straw-colored hull types without awns. Under blackhull These specific biotypes may play role increased resilience populations or results presented paper will highlight elite survive effects change.