Production of Super High-yielding Rice Plants for Environmental Conservation as the Green Evolution II

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H06379
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Plant nutrition/Soil science
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Makino Amane 東北大学, 農学研究科, 教授 (70181617)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 小原 実広 国立研究開発法人国際農林水産業研究センター, 生物資源・利用領域, 主任研究員 (10455248) ; 鈴木 雄二 岩手大学, 農学部, 准教授 (80374974)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-05-31 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: イネ / 光合成 / 多収 / バイオマス / 窒素 / Rubisco

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we produced a high-yielding rice with higher N-use efficiency by improving the photosynthetic capacity by overproduction of Rubisco which is the photosynthetic CO2 fixation enzyme, as well as by increasing the sink capacity. As a source capacity enhancement, multiple transgenic rice lines were produced from Rubisco-overproduced rice. At the same time, as a sink enlargement, near isogenic rice lines were produced by introducing a large grain gene from large-grain high-yielding rice, Akita 63. The grain yields of both modified rice lines were examined in an experimental rice field. The yield was increased by up to 28% in the former and up to 20% in the latter. Finally, a hybrid lines with both source and sink improvements were produced (Approval of Type 1 Use Regulations Concerning Living Modified Organisms under application).

Free Research Field

農芸化学、植物栄養学・土壌学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

光合成能力の改善が、実際の農作物の増産につながるかどうかについては懐疑的な見方があり、今日もその議論は続いている。 本研究の成果は、この懐疑的な見方に終止符を打つべく、世界の主要穀物であるイネにおいて、Rubisco増強による増収を実証した。さらに可食部シンク拡大による増収効果も実証し、これらの成果は、窒素利用効率を向上させる革新的な超多収米の創出に確実につながり、持続可能な食糧増産への道筋を示したものである。