Assessment of Genetic Purity of Parental Lines of Hybrid Rice Using DNA-Based Markers

Assessment of hybrid seed genetic purity is one of the most important quality control parameters in hybrid seed production. With the objective of replacing the GOT with DNA based assays, Cytoplasmic Male Sterile (CMS), restorer and hybrid lines have been screened by means of microsatellite and Sequence Tagged Site (STS) markers. Cytoplasmic Male Sterile (CMS) lines often get contaminated with cognate isonuclear maintainer lines during multiplication. The PCR assay was able to detect precisely the impurities in a commercial seed lot of CMS line. The extent of heterozygosity within parental lines of rice hybrids were assessed and the results suggest that a single, appropriately chosen microsatellite marker should be sufficient for assessing hybrid seed purity.