Status of Genomic Research in Non-basmati Aromatic Joha Rice of Assam

Abstract

Many natively adapted, aromatic, and high-quality rice landraces can be found in NE India. Among the different classes of cultivated rice varieties, Assam has a distinctive scented rice variety known locally as 'joha,' which is particularly popular among the region's farmers. The aroma of joha rice is also thought to differ markedly from that of basmati rice. Genotype stability can be established through genetic variation. Thus, new disease resistant joha rice varieties are necessary to meet both domestic and worldwide demand. There is a need for conservation of this traditional aromatic joha rice germplasm which could be used in the future breeding programme for multiple disease resistance and grain and aroma quality traits improvement. The recent advancements in marker and genomics assisted breeding coupled with high-throughput genotyping and phenotyping enable the discovery of novel alleles and gene targets for the implementation of sustainable rice cultivars with improved grain aroma quality.