Latest research in plant factory shows promise for rice speed breeding and metabolic diversity

A recent study has brought to light some exciting developments in the realm of rice breeding, with far - reaching implications for global food security. The findings of this research, which have been published in Engineering, offer new perspectives on how to cultivate rice more efficiently.

Rice serves as a staple food for more than 60% of the world's population. Nevertheless, the conventional approach to rice breeding is fraught with challenges. It is extremely time - consuming and lacks efficiency due to the long generation time of rice and its season - dependent nature. Given the projection that the global population will hit ten billion by 2050, the demand for innovative and accelerated rice breeding techniques has become increasingly pressing.

In response to this need, researchers have established a vertical hydroponic breeding system combined with LED lighting within a closed plant factory (PF). The outcomes of this new system are quite remarkable. The indica rice variety ZF802M can be harvested as early as 63 days after cultivation, marking a 50% reduction in the growth period compared to traditional field cultivation. This remarkable achievement enables the annual harvesting of 5 - 6 generations of rice within the PF.

The hydroponic system implemented in the PF comes with multiple benefits. It guarantees a sufficient nutrient supply to the rice plants, boosts the efficiency of fertilizer utilization, and cuts down on both water and fertilizer consumption. By precisely controlling both the above - ground environment and the underground rhizosphere environment, it successfully speeds up the growth and generation advancement of rice. Additionally, the multilayer structure of the PF system maximizes space utilization through vertical cultivation, effectively reducing the high operating costs and energy consumption per unit area.

The research team also delved into how PF cultivation affects the quality of rice. They utilized a hyperspectral imaging system (HSI), attenuated total reflectance infrared (ATR - IR) spectroscopy, along with metabolomic analyses through ultra - performance liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC - MS/MS) and gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC - MS).

Spectral analysis using ATR - IR and HSI indicated that there are distinct spectral differences between PF - and field - cultivated rice seeds, which are likely linked to their chemical composition. The metabolomics analysis further uncovered significant disparities in the non - volatile and volatile metabolites of the two types of rice.

In PF - cultivated rice seeds, the total amount of non - volatile metabolites is higher. There is a notable increase in the relative abundances of phenolic acids and organic acids, which may enhance the antioxidant properties and nutritional value of the rice. Conversely, the relative abundances of amino acids are lower, perhaps due to their biotransformation into organic and phenolic acids.

Regarding volatile metabolites, although the overall amount in PF - cultivated rice is lower, there is a marked increase in the accumulation of phenols, ketones, aromatics, and amines. These changes can potentially improve the flavor of indica rice.

This latest research not only shortens the rice generation time but also uncovers the unique metabolic profile of PF - cultivated rice. The plant - factory - based speed - breeding system holds great potential for application in the cultivation of various crops beyond rice, such as wheat, soybean, corn, and alfalfa. When combined with modern breeding technologies, it could pave the way for a new era of fast and precise breeding, providing an innovative solution to support global food security in the face of a growing population and changing climate.

The paper “Plant Factory Speed Breeding Significantly Shortens Rice Generation Time and Enhances Metabolic Diversity,” authored by Yi Liu, Zong-Geng Li, Hao Cheng, Xiao Yang, Ming-Yue Li, Hong-Yan Liu, Ren-You Gan, Qi-Chang Yang. Full text of the open access paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2024.09.019. For more information about the Engineering, follow us on X (https://twitter.com/EngineeringJrnl) & like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/EngineeringJrnl).