Cultivated Wild Rice Breeding and Genetics

Principal Investigator: Jenny Kimball

Project Description: Cultivated northern wild rice (Zizania palustris) is the only cereal grain native to the United States and is cultivated in paddies primarily in Minnesota and California with annual U.S. production averaging 5.4 million kg. The species is currently undergoing domestication as traits such as shattering resistance, seed dormancy, seed germination, and uniform maturity are still being selected for in breeding programs. Traditional breeding objectives such as yield and disease resistance are also important for varietal development. Thus far, breeding efforts have been primarily limited to conventional methods due to a lack of genomic resources in the species. Genetic tools, such as molecular markers, can aid in the identification of genetic loci associated with traits of interest and move towards marker-assisted selection (MAS) within our breeding regimes. Additionally, molecular markers can be used to gauge levels of genetic diversity that can aid in the conservation efforts of natural wild rice populations in Minnesota's lakes and river systems. The objectives of this MAES project are 1. Breeding for domestication and seed storage traits in cultivated northern wild rice; 2. Whole genome assembly of Zizania palustris; and 3. Northern wild rice molecular marker development.

Project Years: 2018-2021

Funding Source: State Agricultural Experiment Station