Use of genetic engineering in rice improvement

Since the first recovery of a transgenic rice plant in 1988, major progress has been made in manipulating traits of interest through genetic engineering of this plant of high sociological, cultural and economic importance. These traits encompass resistance to insect pests, and fungal, bacterial and viral pathogens, tolerance to abiotic constraints (mineral toxicities and deprivation, low or high temperatures, water excess or shortage) and the nutritional or industrial qualities of the grain. Last but not least, engineering metabolic pathways in a tissue-specific manner have led, for instance, to the accumulation of carotene in the rice endosperm as well as of C4 photosynthetic enzymes in appropriate anatomical compartments of the leaf. Other projects aim at producing molecules for therapeutic or industrial use in the seed. Although some of these innovations have been readily transferable to rice farmers for several years, public policies are still hesitant. The scientific community has taken advantage of this to study the impact on the alimentation and the environment related to the consumption or the deployment of the future engineered crops.