Screening of indica rice genotypes for shoot morphogenetic potential

Rice is the most important food crop in developing countries. In fact, it is the basic food for nearly half of the world's population. To meet the food need of ever-growing world population, total rice production will have to be increased by 50% by 2025. Indica rice which accounts for 80% of the total rice production, has proven recalcitrant to in vitro culture and plant regeneration. Although recovery of transgenic rice plants and their offspring has been reported in a few indica rice varieties but gene transfer to most of high-yielding indica rice varieties is not yet routine and recovery of fertile transgenic plants has been rather inefficient. A number of factors such as genotype, media components including growth regulators, gelling agent, carbon source and amino acids, nature of explant and physical environment have been shown to be critical for plant regeneration in rice. The present study is aimed at estimating the genotypic variability for plant regeneration in indica rice varieties and to identify commercially important indica rice varieties, for maximum callus induction and plant regeneration for routine use in developing rice transgenesis and in related work.