Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 49: 531–532, 2002.

531

Book review

Khush, G.S., D.S. Brar and B. Hardy (Eds.) 2001. Rice genetics IV. Enfield, N.H. (USA). Science Publishers, Inc., and Los Banos (Philippines): International Rice Research Institute. 488 p. Rice Genetics IV provides the 31 papers presented at plenary sessions and brief workshop reports from the Fourth International Rice Genetics Symposium held at IRRI in the Philippines between 22 and 27th October, 2000. This book does not provide contributions that occurred in other parts of the symposium (130 contributory papers to other sessions and 240 posters). This book is thus half the length of Rice Genetic III and divided into six sections: overview – molecular markers, genetic diversity and evolution – structural and functional genomics – gene isolation and function – transformation – workshop reports. Rice science has seen an explosion of research that reflects the large-scale public and private research investment at a time of rapid biotechnological advances. Evidence of just how much attention is being given to rice research is that three different draft sequences of the rice genome have been prepared. Meanwhile another project, the public International Rice Genome Sequencing Project, is expected to produce a complete rice genome sequence shortly. Consequently, up to date reviews of advances in different fields of rice genetics are very welcome. For genetic resources scientists this current volume has some valuable contributions. Morishima discusses evolution and domestication of rice. She has the rare authority of someone who has extensive field experience and been able to use directly field collected germplasm in a broad array of laboratory experiments. She notes unsolved issues that include the phylogeny of the Latin American AA genome wild rice, O. glumaepatula, and the precise phylogeny of variation in outcrossing and life cycle for the wild relatives of rice. Would her comments that “we rarely find truly wild populations without introgression of genes from cultivated rice in tropical rice-growing areas” explain in part the yield-enhancing genes in wild species mentioned by Khush and Brar?

The ex situ conserved genepool of rice germplasm at IRRI includes about 100,000 accessions of traditional varieties and wild relatives of rice populations. In addition, now there are large numbers of laboratory generated genetic stocks that may be important to conserve. Hirochika et al. discuss new methods they have been using to find specific mutants many having specific phenotypes. Aneuploid series, substitution lines etc. have or are being generated and some may need long-term conservation. Conservation of these materials is an area where biotechnologists and genetic resources scientists need to work in partnership. Progress in rice biotechnology has necessarily been accompanied by advances in rice bioinformatics and is discussed in the paper by Antonio et al. While sequence data is regularly submitted to the major DNA databases and may be a requirement for publishing papers, other molecular or biochemical marker data on germplasm bank (referenced) accessions usually are not usually submitted to globally accessible databases. The issue of integrating the diverse sources of data on rice genetic resources was addressed in the bioinformatics workshop reported at the end of the book. de la Bastide et al. comment on the importance of efficiency and accuracy in relation to genome sequencing. It is also true that scientists working with genetic resources from genebanks need to be aware of how essential voucher herbarium specimens and seeds of experimental materials are to ensure material can be checked. For example, on p. 6 O. eichingeri is given as diploid, which is the ploidy reported for field collected material of this species that has had its chromosome number checked just after collection. However, on pp. 91 and 98 this species is reported to be both diploid and (allo)tetraploid. With this the fourth in the Rice Genetics we learn the Rockefeller Foundation International Program on Rice Biotechnology will close and also G.S. Khush has recently retired from IRRI. Both have been much involved with the series of symposia on which this series of books have been based. In addition, both have been instrumental in helping to integrate rice biotech-

532 nology with conventional breeding. As new leadership takes over drawing the seemingly increasingly diverged basic and applied branches of rice genetics together will be increasingly important. This book costs US$88 and this is about the standard price for a volume of this type. While the quality of

the paper, type and most of the figures are good there are no indices and my review copy was lacking pages 125, 126 and 461–468. Duncan A. Vaughan, Tsukuba, Japan