Achieving sustainable cultivation of rice Volume 1

Rice is one of the most important foods in the world. As the demand for rice continues to increase, there is an urgent need to increase yields in the face of such challenges as climate change, threats from pests and diseases and the need to make cultivation more resource-efficient and sustainable.

Drawing on an international range of expertise, this collection focuses on ways of improving the cultivation of rice at each step in the value chain, from breeding to post-harvest storage. Volume 1 reviews research in physiology and breeding and its application to produce varieties with improved traits such as higher yields. It then goes on to discuss nutritional and other aspects of rice quality and the ways these can be enhanced.

Achieving sustainable cultivation of rice Volume 1: Breeding for higher quality and yield will be a standard reference for rice scientists in universities, government and other research centres and companies involved in rice cultivation. It is accompanied by Volume 2 which reviews improvements in cultivation techniques, pest and disease management.

• Reviews developments in understanding and protecting genetic diversity in rice, and how this translates into marker-assisted and other developments in breeding;
• Discusses advances in breeding varieties with enhanced properties such as high yield and drought tolerance;
• Summarises current research on understanding and improving nutritional properties such as vitamin and mineral content
  

Part 1 Rice breeding
1.Ensuring and exploiting genetic diversity in rice: Jennifer Spindel and Susan McCouch, Cornell University, USA;
2.Advances in molecular breeding techniques for rice: R. B. Angeles-Shim and M. Ashikari, Nagoya University, Japan;
3.Breeding strategies to improve rice yields: an overview: K. K. Jena and G. Ramkumar, International Rice Research Institute, The Philippines;
4.Improving photosynthesis in rice: from small steps to giant leaps: R. F. Sage, University of Toronto, Canada; and Shunsuke Adachi and Tadashi Hirasawa, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan;
5.Breeding green super rice (GSR) varieties for sustainable rice cultivation: Z. Li, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China; and J. Ali, International Rice Research Institute, The Philippines;
6.Mechanisms of drought tolerance in rice: Anuj Kumar, Supratim Basu, Venkategowda Ramegowda and Andy Pereira, University of Arkansas, USA

Part 2 Rice nutritional and processing quality
7.Advances in understanding the role of rice in nutrition: Melissa Fitzgerald, University of Queensland, Australia; Adoracion Resurreccion, International Rice Research Institute, The Philippines; and Julie Pua Ferraz, Diabetes Foundation Marikina and Calamba Doctors' Hospital, The Philippines;
8.The nutraceutical properties of rice: Lu Yu, University of Maryland, USA; and Margaret Slavin and Mengyi Dong, George Mason University, USA;
9. Biofortified Golden Rice: an additional intervention for vitamin A deficiency: Adrian Dubock, Golden Rice Humanitarian Board, Switzerland;
10.Development of rice varieties with improved iron content in grain: Navreet K. Bhullar, ETH Zurich, Switzerland;
11.Quality parameters and testing methods in rice cultivation: Rachelle Ward, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Australia;
12.Agronomic and environmental factors affecting rice grain quality: Chuan Tong and Jinsong Bao, Zhejiang University, China;