The world-renowned Thai Hom Mali Rice has been the most important aromatic rice originating in Thailand. The aromatic variety was collected from Chachoengsao, a central province, and after pure-line selection, it was officially named as Khao Dawk Mali 105, (KDML105). Because of its superb fragrance and cooking quality, KDML105 has been a model variety for studying genes controlling grain quality and aroma. The aromatic gene was cloned in KDML105, as an amino aldehyde dehydrogenase (AMADH) or better known as BADH2 located on chromosome 8. Later on, all other aromatic rice genes were discovered as allelic to the AMADH. As a selection of local landrace variety found in rainfed areas, the Thai Jasmine rice showed adaptive advantages over improved irrigated rice in less fertile lowland rainfed conditions. Because KDML105 was susceptible to most diseases and insect pests, marker-assisted backcross selection (MABC) was used for the genetic improvement since 2000. After nearly 17 years of MABC for integrating new traits into KDML105, a new generation of KDML105, designated HM84, was developed which maintains the cooking quality and fragrance, and has gained advantages during flash flooding, disease, and insect outbreak.

Jasmine rice (Oryza sativa L.), or Khao Dawk Mali 105 (KDML105), is sensitive to drought and salt stresses. In this study, two improved drought-tolerant chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) of KDML105 (CSSL8-103 and CSSL8-106), which carry drought tolerance quantitative trait loci (QTLs) on chromosome 8, were evaluated for salt tolerance and were compared with KDML105 and the QTL donor DH103, their parents and the salt-tolerant genotype Pokkali. After being subjected to salt stress for 6 days, 3-week-old seedlings of Pokkali showed the highest salt tolerance. Parameters related to photosynthesis were less inhibited in both CSSLs and the donor DH103, while these parameters were more severely damaged in the recurrent parent KDML105. Albeit a high ratio of Na⁺/K⁺, CSSLs and DH103 showed similar or higher contents of soluble sugar and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC1.15.1.1) compared with Pokkali, indicating possible mechanisms of either tissue or osmotic tolerance in these plants. The expression of a putative gene Os08g41990 (aminotransferase), which is located in DT-QTL and is involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis, significantly decreased under salt stress in KDML105 and CSSL8-103, while no obvious change in the expression of this gene was observed in Pokkali, DH103 and CSSL8-106. This gene might play a role in maintaining chlorophyll content under stress conditions. Taken together, the results of this study indicate that DT-QTL could contribute to the enhancement of photosynthetic performance in CSSL lines, leading to changes in their physiological ability to tolerate salinity stress.

Rice is a staple food crop that plays a pivotal role in global food security, feeding more than half of the world’s population. Soil salinity is one of the most important global problems affecting rice productivity. Salt stress at the seedling stage inhibits root growth, impairs nutrient and water uptake, and affects overall plant vigor, resulting in poor establishment and reduced growth. Therefore, acquiring salt tolerance, especially at the seedling stage, is critical for successful rice production in salinity-affected areas. In this study, 160 RILs derived from a cross between Pokkali and KDML105 were evaluated for their salt tolerance at the seedling stage. QTL-seq analysis with this population identified nine QTLs associated with salt tolerance. Through a comprehensive examination of the effects of coding sequence variants of the 360 annotated genes within the QTLs and gene expression under salt stress, 47 candidate genes were prioritized. In particular, Os01g0200700 (metallothionein-like protein) and Os12g0625000 (O-acetylserine (thiol)lyase) were suggested as potential candidates based on annotated functions and expression data. The results provide valuable insights for improving rice productivity and resistance under salt stress conditions during the critical seedling stage.

The impact of increasing drought periods on crop yields as a result of global climate change is a major concern in modern agriculture. Thus, a greater understanding of crop physiological responses under drought stress can guide breeders to develop new cultivars with enhanced drought tolerance. In this study, selected chromosome segment substitution lines of KDML105 (KDML105-CSSL) were grown in the Plant Phenomics Center of Kasetsart University in Thailand under well-watered and drought-stressed conditions. Physiological traits were measured by observing gas exchange dynamics and using a high-throughput phenotyping platform. Furthermore, because of its impact on plant internal gas and water regulation, stomatal morphological trait variation was recorded. The results show that KDML105-CSS lines exhibited plasticity responses to enhance water-use efficiency which increased by 3.62%. Moreover, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and transpiration decreased by approximately 40% and plant height was reduced by 17.69%. Stomatal density tended to decrease and was negatively correlated with stomatal size, and stomata on different sides of the leaves responded differently under drought stress. Under drought stress, top-performing KDML105-CSS lines with high net photosynthesis had shorter plant height and improved IWUE, as influenced by an increase in stomatal density on the upper leaf side and a decrease on the lower leaf side.

Drought stress limits plant growth and productivity. It triggers many responses by inducing changes in plant morphology and physiology. KDML105 rice is a key rice variety in Thailand and is normally grown in the northeastern part of the country. The chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) were developed by transferring putative drought tolerance loci (QTLs) on chromosome 1, 3, 4, 8, or 9 into the KDML105 rice genome. CSSL104 is a drought-tolerant line with higher net photosynthesis and leaf water potential than KDML105 rice. The analysis of CSSL104 gene regulation identified the loci associated with these traits via gene co-expression network analysis. Most of the predicted genes are involved in the photosynthesis process. These genes are also conserved in Arabidopsis thaliana. Seven genes encoding chloroplast proteins were selected for further analysis through characterization of Arabidopsis tagged mutants. The response of these mutants to drought stress was analyzed daily for seven days after treatment by scoring green tissue areas via the PlantScreen™ XYZ system. Mutation of these genes affected green areas of the plant and stability index under drought stress, suggesting their involvement in drought tolerance.

Drought is a major constraint in rainfed rice production and root architectural traits are important breeding targets for improving productivity under drought stress. A set of chromosome segment substitution lines (KDML105-CSSLs) and KDML105 were grown in the wet season at two sites (Rice Gene Discovery (RGD) and Ubon Ratchatani Rice Research Center (URRC)) in Thailand under well-watered (WW) and drought stress (DS) treatments. RGD is characterized by having a heavy clay soil type while URRC’s soil has a high percentage of sand and characterized by infertility. Root architecture traits varied within the population at both sites and exhibited plasticity in response to drought as affected by location by water regime interaction. Lateral root density increased by 77% with drought at RGD but decreased by 18% at URRC. The proportion of nodal roots that elongated more vertically increased under drought stress by 21%, at RGD. Root number per tiller was negatively associated with tiller number and biomass at RGD under drought, while lateral root density was negatively associated with biomass under drought at URRC. Eight QTL were identified for the number of nodal roots per tiller, lateral root density, and nodal root growth angle. Several candidate genes were identified by annotating the genes within the QTL regions. Our study presented genetic insights into root architectural traits with potential use in rice breeding programs for drought tolerance. Graphical abstract