Breeding Rice Variety with Suitable Plant Ideotype for Next-Generation Indian Agriculture in the Changing Climatic Conditions

The latter half of the twentieth century saw a tremendous increase in food grain production, especially rice, a major component of dietary intake in Asia. The Green revolution ensured food security but this was at the cost of deteriorating soil health and groundwater reserves. The rate of environmental degradation and the increased susceptibility of rice varieties to various stress conditions has compelled researchers to work towards tailor-made specifically bred varieties that cater to the growing climatic aberrations. The majority of breeding efforts to date focused on increasing the yield compromising their hardiness, and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. This chapter highlights the perils of climate change complemented by the faulty management practices in rice cultivation and suggests a plant ideotype that can complement the changing climatic conditions, and react to different biotic and abiotic stress with minimum impact on its yield.