Crop Improvement with Induced Genetic Variation to Cope with Drought in Rice and Sorghum

Drought is the most devastating abiotic stress factor worldwide affecting crop production: an issue that is projected to worsen with climate change. Improving drought tolerance in crops and enhancing agricultural water productivity under rain-fed conditions is therefore a critical issue for many countries. With this aim, the IAEA successfully completed a Coordinated Research Project (CRP) in 2021 titled ""Improving Drought Resilience in Rice and Sorghum through Mutation Breeding". These two crops are essential staples in the diets of millions of impoverished and vulnerable populations and therefore any attempt to improve their yields under drought stress could have a major and positive impact in terms of food security and improved health and income generation. This publication contains the results of the five-year CRP and has contributions from 58 scientists from 7 different countries. Its intended readership is researchers, scientists, plant breeders, plant biotechnologists and other highly specialized audiences with an interest in improving drought tolerance in rice and sorghum crops using mutant lines.