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Rice Gene Discovery Unit, Rice Science Center National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Kasetsart University
DNA fingerprinting alone cannot prevent theft, so cloning the gene controlling this rice's aroma is the best way. With the gene patented, it serves as the most influential record of identity. Another concern is using GMO technology to create fragrant rice with properties superior to Khao Dawk Mali, which could be the most frightening competition. But Thailand is now the sole owner in the world of the gene and the technology for creating aroma in rice, which is the most powerful tool for protecting our Khao Dawk Mali rice for at least another 20 years, before Thai science grows stronger still.
Major technology improvements that give Thailand a competitive advantage in the industrial arena
1. Breeding fragrant rice with better traits gives Thailand better-quality fragrant rice varieties, which will let Thailand export more fragrant rice. From another angle, it increases the competitiveness of Thai fragrant rice in the world market, and the production cost of fragrant rice should fall, which should benefit farmers and competition in the world market.
2. Having the aroma gene patent granted and putting it to use lets Thailand control the breeding of fragrant rice using genetic modification techniques (GMO), which will benefit competition in the world market. That Thailand can control the development of GMO fragrant rice so it does not take over the Thai Hom Mali rice market further strengthens the ability of Thai Hom Mali rice to compete in the future.
Hom Mali 80 It began in 2007 (B.E. 2550), when BIOTEC / Kasetsart University / the Rice Department jointly and respectfully presented flood-tolerant Khao Dawk Mali rice to Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, later called Hom Mali 80, to join in celebrating the occasion of His Majesty the King's 80th birthday. With starting seed of 5 tons, the Organic Agriculture Federation promoted Hom Mali 80 to farmers on more than 1,000 rai, creating an impact of no less than 8 million baht without relying on the state's promotion mechanisms at all. It is a good starting point for Khao Dawk Mali lines with greater resistance, and shows everyone that we do not need to rely on genetically modified (GMO) technology from abroad.
Hom Mali 84 A more challenging success than Hom Mali 80 was stacking the bacterial leaf blight resistance gene at locus 21 and the brown planthopper genes at loci 4 and 10 together. It was a long effort under conditions of imperfect technology, but in the end Hom Mali 84 will appear before farmers' eyes, preparing them to cope with the outbreaks of brown planthopper and bacterial leaf blight at this time, and Hom Mali 84 still remains a perfect Thai Hom Mali rice.
Glutinous RD6
Rescuing glutinous RD6 from blast. Every year glutinous RD6 has been damaged by neck blast, so that in some years the yield of this glutinous rice is greatly affected. Efforts to transfer the blast resistance gene discovered by the unit (Sirithunya et al 2002) into glutinous RD6 succeeded in 2008 (B.E. 2551), and it was passed to farmers in the northeast, namely Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom and Chaiyaphum, and in the north, namely Lampang, Nan and Chiang Rai, over a total area of more than 1,000 rai, creating an impact of about 10 million baht in 2 years. With glutinous rice quality that Thai people like and tolerance of blast, it is believed that this Hom Mali glutinous rice will be rapidly accepted by more farmers.
Hom Chonlasit Hom Chonlasit fragrant rice was developed for irrigated paddy land with flash flood problems under normal conditions. Hom Chonlasit is a high-yielding rice with aroma, long grains and softness, but clearly different from Khao Dawk Mali at cooked starch temperature. Hom Chonlasit can survive under water for at least 2–3 weeks and recover after the water recedes, while ordinary rice varieties normally drown within 1 week. This tolerance applies at a plant age of about 21 days, or the seedling stage, but if the plants are older, the tolerance is greater. This line has been disseminated and promoted for planting in target areas at risk of flash floods, namely Phichit, Uttaradit, Suphan Buri, Nakhon Pathom and Ayutthaya Provinces, through the Department of Agricultural Extension and Cooperatives and local community networks. At present (2008) more than 1,500 rai are planted with Hom Chonlasit.
True research outcomes The unit's most important role is building the country's research personnel capacity. The unit's strategy for building personnel is to train master's and doctoral students to take part in research with faculty. Over the past 10 years the unit has produced 20 master's graduates and 11 doctoral graduates, including 2 students from neighboring countries (master's). Students who graduated from the unit play important roles in both public and private research organizations. Without the effort, dedication and perseverance of the unit's personnel in the face of obstacles, it would not have been possible to leap from traditional rice breeding into the country's outstanding genomics era.
