IRRI’s Strategies to Utilize Genetic Resources for Breeding Resilient Rice

Plant genetic resources are essential for food security and environmental sustainability, and genebanks play a crucial role in their conservation. However, genebanks worldwide are often underutilized; for example, only 5% of the 132,000 rice samples conserved at IRRI’s International Rice Genebank (IRG) have been actively used in breeding programs. Addressing climate change challenges requires accelerating the effective use of genebank resources. While genebanks primarily focus on conserving genetic diversity, they also play a vital role in enhancing germplasm utilization by generating critical trait information. Traditional germplasm evaluation, however, relies on manually assessing limited traits, which is time-intensive and costly. This presentation will outline IRRI’s strategic approaches to harness genetic resources for breeding resilient rice, focusing on three key areas: 1. Unlocking Novel Variation: The IRG collection includes unique, yet-to-be-utilized traits. Efforts to identify and leverage these traits for breeding novel rice varieties will be discussed. 2. Exploiting Genotype by Environment (GxE) Interactions: Our recent work in Southeast Asia highlights the value of exotic genetic resources. We will cover strategies to rapidly deploy genetic variation that leverages GxE interactions, boosting breeding outcomes. 3. Applying AI/ML in Genebanking: Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are transforming genebank operations. This section will discuss the progress of AI-driven genebank practices, including curation, characterization, and subset selection. At IRG, we are integrating AIdriven systems with high-throughput phenotyping to streamline the screening of rice samples for climate-resilient traits. As a pilot study, we showcase the application to screen for tolerance to flood, drought, and salinity stresses. In 2024 alone, about half of IRG’s collection was screened for these traits.