Anaerobic Germination in Rice

Most of the seeds of higher plant species are unable to germinate underwater, but certain varieties of rice have the ability to germinate under anaerobic conditions. This is possible because rice has originated from semiaquatic environments, enabling it to cope with the anoxic condition. Poor and unstable seedling establishment is a major problem in the directly seeded lowland conditions of both temperate and tropical regions. In this regard, anaerobic germination is an important trait in the matter of anoxic germination of rice. Anaerobic seeding is an alternative method of direct seeding in lowland rice fields as it would help overcome the problems faced due to unstable seedling establishment. The tolerant rice genotypes survive the oxygen deprivation, on account of its high germinability, strong seedling vigour, early seedling growth, etc. and more particularly by its enhanced coleoptiles growth. The use of anoxia tolerant rice genotypes in the direct seeding system is a more successful and convenient method for practicing anaerobic seeding than any other methods. This chapter provides an overview of the progress of research achieved on anaerobic germination in rice and development of potential rice genotypes for anaerobic germination tolerance through breeding programmes.