Introgression of Semi-Dwarf Gene in Kalanamak Rice using Marker-Assisted Selection Breeding

Kalanamak is an important aromatic rice variety in India. Tall stature of Kalanamak causes lodging due to which its yield and other characters severely declines. Introgression of the semi-dwarfing gene (sd₁) from CSR10 was performed with the help of markerassisted breeding. Backcross-derived plants were characterized for semi-dwarf nature. Improved Kalanamak lines were analysed for the sd₁ gene and to check the presence of aroma, sensory analysis test and amplification with betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (badh 2) derived primer was performed. Improved versions of Kalanamak rice lines were either on par or superior in terms of yield, grain type and cooking quality with reduced height implicating the potentiality of marker-assisted backcross breeding for improvement of this rice variety.