Rice Landraces as a Source of Valuable Traits for Future Rice Breeding

Rice plays a crucial role in sustaining half of the global population by providing essential carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. Over generations, farmers have cultivated rice landraces tailored to their specific needs, resulting in the development of unique traits. These landraces exhibit diverse durations, resilience against biotic and abiotic stresses, and desirable grain quality. The wide range of duration enables farmers to select appropriate varieties for different agro-ecological regions and cropping systems. The significance of landraces lies in their innate ability to withstand stress through evolutionary adaptations, reducing the reliance on chemical inputs and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Historically, landraces have been favored not only for their nutritional value but also for their distinct aroma and secondary metabolites. Therefore, breeders can overcome these challenges by leveraging modern technologies such as Marker Assisted Selection and Genome Wide Association Studies. By employing these tools, breeders can transfer vital traits like biotic and abiotic resistant genes and improve nutritional aspects in modern-day varieties, ultimately enhancing the overall well-being of human beings. This review examines the distinct characteristics of landraces, including variations in duration, resistance to pests and diseases and grain quality.