Germplasm Innovation of Heat Tolerance in Rice for Irrigated Lowland Conditions in the Philippines

Heat-tolerant varieties, such as N22 and Dular, which were used in this study, usually have low yield potential and undesirable plant characteristics but combining them with high yielding and improved rice varieties, new heat-tolerant rice genotypes with high yield potential can be achieved. In this study, phenotyping and selecting desirable materials from various crosses were performed under high temperature conditions during the reproductive stage. Screening was performed in the field and glasshouse to select individuals with heat tolerance and high yield potential. Several advanced breeding lines from Gayabyeo/N22 cross produced desirable individuals with heat tolerance, resistance to pests and diseases, and high yield potential. The genetic variation in percent sterility among the selected backcross populations grown in high temperature environments showed that large number of plants can be identified and selected with lower percent sterility.