Contents



Foreword

The genomics era has given us major advances in our understanding of the rice plant and its relationship with its biophysical environment. The time is right, then, to examine this understanding and speculate where and how we should proceed to address the remaining problems. Yulin Jia and colleagues present an update on some of the most serious problems that have affected rice production. Our understanding of bacterial blight, blast, and sheath blight has led to significant advances in their management and control. However, much postgenomic work remains to be done.

Because rice production has become more intensive and management options more sophisticated, new challenging disease problems are emerging. The treatment of false smut and bacterial panicle blight will be important resources for all working in rice improvement and management. Both of these diseases have long been considered to be minor, almost nuisance, problems in the field. Their emergence to economic levels of importance is a mystery that must be solved. The potential for

the false smut to produce mycotoxins adds urgency to the challenge.

volume should help inform those charged with making decisions.

There is a welcome inclusion of a range of abiotic challenges such as plant nutrition and arsenic uptake. These are critical to the sustainability and safety of rice production. Placing these in the context of climate change is very important for readers because society seeks to reduce the climate footprint of agriculture worldwide. There are significant tradeoffs that will have to be confronted and this

There is an interesting addition to the disease and management emphasis in the book: the treatment of the nutritional value of rice. There is little doubt that as consumers become more sophisticated, they will demand more nutritious rice. Likewise, rice with starch composition that yields lower glycemic index will be an important future focus for rice breeders. And food processors will require different

The book's orientation is toward important challenges facing rice production in the United States. There is very good treatment of a number of specific breeding challenges around hybrid rice and indeed unique opportunities offered with hybrid rice breeding. Nonetheless, the authors address a number of areas that are of broad interest to the global rice community. This work is ambitious and is an important resource for students and all those engaged in the production side of the rice sector.

**Robert S. Zeigler**

Director General Emeritus,

International Rice Research Institute

starch characteristics as they increase the use of rice in processed foods.
