Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Rice: Insight in Climate Change Scenario

Abstract

Rice, world’s second major, staple cereal crop that feed the more than 50% of world’s population. To safeguard the production and to fulfill the demand of ever the increasing population and urbanization there is need to increase the rice production. Though the rice yield has increased due to the development of modern technology and climate resilient high yielding cultivars but still it is 10–15 per cent lower than its potential yield due to various biotic and abiotic stress. Drought, extreme temperature, salinity, harmful radiation, heavy metals, gaseous pollutants are the most detrimental abiotic stresses factors that cause the morphological, physiological and biochemical changes in the rice crops and ultimate result is the reduction of rice production globally. Tolerance against these stresses through exploitation of potent biotechnological tools, molecular markers, QTL mapping omices approaches, phytohormones which could offer a more adequate and rapid solution to overcome these abiotic stresses and to enhance the ultimate grain yield of rice.