Rice is a staple food in the world’s poorest areas where to achieve lower production costs the current agricultural trend is to shift from transplanting rice seedlings to direct sowing of seeds. Seeds that are directly sowed may have to germinate under anaerobic conditions (AG) due to flash flooding which is frequent in South Africa and South East Asia, where most of the world’s rice farming occurs. Successful AG is a desirable trait in rice, thus studying the complex genetic variation and physiology of anaerobic germination in rice is necessary to produce rice seeds with desirable traits that can fulfill societal needs.
Currently we have an on-going project studying complex genetic variation and physiology of anaerobic germination in rice. This project is possible through the long standing partnership between Dr. Mitchell-Olds and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) a CGIAR research center located in the Philippines .
