The first Asian rice ‘pangenome’ is created.

• Scientists have created a unique ‘pangenome’, a reference genome, by assembling key parts of genomes from 144 rice varieties from Asia.

• The pangenome allows researchers to develop new rice cultivars and introduce new traits for disease-tolerance and resilience against climate shocks.

• Rice is a staple crop for nearly two-thirds of the globe and is the primary crop grown in India.

• Rising temperatures due to climate change could affect yields and increase arsenic uptake among rice varieties.

• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed two genome-edited rice varieties, Samba Mahsuri and MTU 1010, promising higher yields and better drought resistance.

• The pangenome has the common genes as well as unique genes found in the individual rice varieties, providing a more complete understanding of the genetic variation present in rice.

• The study revealed 3.87 billion base pairs of novel genetic sequences absent from the single acknowledged reference genome, O sativa ssp japonica.

• About 20% of the 69,531 genes identified were specific to wild rice, improving understanding of rice’s environmental adaptation, phenotypic plasticity, and regeneration potential.