Chinese researchers have finished a digital genetic variation map of rice, offering a new tool for further research into natural rice variations.

Detailed knowledge of the genetic variations in diverse crop populations forms the basis for genetic crop improvement and gene functional studies. In a study published on Nucleic Acids Research, researchers looked at a large rice population comprising 10,548 accessions to create a rice super-population variation map (RSPVM). Through the evaluation of this database, they further demonstrated the great potential of this large variation dataset for studying population structure, genetic diversity, allele distribution and functional diversity in plants.

Rice is one of the world's most significant food crops, feeding more than half of the world's population. Natural genomic variation is a valuable resource for genetic improvement and modern breeding approaches in the development of new high-yielding, high-quality rice varieties. As a result, genomic variation has long been the focus of intense investigation.

"The latest research result is like a 'digital map' for research on rice, offering clear guidance on its breeding," said Shang Lianguang, a researcher from the Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen (AGIS) under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

With the help of this map, the researchers have corrected errors in the classification of some indica and japonica rice varieties, extensively analyzed the population frequencies of important functional genes in different rice subpopulations and identified excellent natural variations among them.

Based on the map, they also established an online database platform for global users, providing relevant scientific and research services for studies on rice.

(Cover image via CFP)

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