Molecular Breeding Innovations for High-Quality Basmati Rice: Strengthening Aroma, Yield, and Resistance to Key Diseases

Abstract

Basmati rice, renowned for its distinctive aroma, grain quality, and economic significance, faces challenges such as low yield, susceptibility to diseases, and abiotic stresses. This review explores molecular breeding innovations to enhance Basmati rice, focusing on strengthening aroma through the BADH2 gene and related pathways, improving grain quality and elongation via QTLs like GS3 and GW2, boosting yield potential with alien introgressions from wild relatives, and building resistance to key biotic stresses (bacterial blight, blast, sheath blight, and bakanae) using gene pyramiding and marker-assisted selection (MAS). Additionally, it addresses climate resilience by incorporating QTLs for salinity (Saltol), drought (qDTY), and heat tolerance. Future directions emphasize multi-omics, GWAS, genomic selection, and CRISPR/Cas9 for precision breeding, enabling the development of high-yielding, resilient, and biofortified Basmati varieties while preserving premium traits. These advancements promise economic benefits for farmers and sustained global market value.