Location: Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center
Project Number: 6028-21000-011-030-N
Project Type: Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Apr 29, 2015
End Date: Apr 28, 2020
Objective:
The objective of this research is to develop a functional molecular marker associated with the rice blast resistance gene Pi9, that can be used in rice breeding programs worldwide.
Approach:
Develop a functional marker associated with the Pi9 gene. Nucleotide sequence of five members of Pi9 family will be aligned and compared with Nipponbare sequence to find specific polymorphims in the Pi9 gene. Specific primers will be developed and tested in a small group of susceptible varieties and one variety known to contain Pi9. The selected marker will be tested across a rice germplasm collection, and varieties possessing Pi9 will be inoculated with a set of rice blast fungal isolates to confirm resistance. A functional marker for the Pi9 gene as well as the resistant germplasms identified will be available for breeding to improve rice blast disease resistance using a marker-assisted approach.
