PHENOTYPE-SPECIFIC MANIPULATION OF HETEROTRIMERIC G PROTEIN SIGNALING FOR RICE TRAIT IMPROVEMENT

rice is a major crop in parts of the southern us and california. rice is also the staple food for almost half the world's population. rice needs considerable amounts of water to grow and drought is one of the major factors affecting rice yields world-wide. globally, crop productivity will need to increase 60% by 2050 to feed the world, while over the same time-frame anthropogenic demand for water is predicted to increase by 55%. therefore, there is a need to produce new rice cultivars that perform better under water-limited conditions. we propose to manipulate specific genes in rice called 'g protein genes' to test the hypothesis that these manipulations will improve plant architecture and yield under both well-watered and water-limited conditions. we will assess these plants for their agronomic traits under both laboratory and field conditions. given the world-wide demand for rice, this research has clear potential for long-range improvement in and sustainability of u.s. (and global) agriculture.