Techniques hybrid seed production in rice

Abstract

Commercialization of hybrid rice is linked to the development of hybrid rice seed production. Rice is basically a self-pollinated crop and the requirement of seed per unit area is high; therefore, the development of hybrid rice exploits the phenomenon of hybrid vigor and involves raising a commercial crop from F1 Seeds. Research at IRRI indicates that development of hybrid rice technology offers opportunities for increasing rice varietal yields by 15-20% compared to results achievable with improved, semi dwarf and inbred varieties. Rice must involve use of an effective male sterility system to develop and produce hybrids on commercial scale; and as for now, there are only two ways to produce hybrid rice seed successfully and these include three-line and two-line system. The three line system of seed production is used for large scale hybrid rice seed production in the world; while as two-line approach involving environmental sensitive genetic male sterility for successful hybrid rice seed production