Advanced breeding strategies for combating rice salinity stress in Ghana: A critical review and future perspective

Rice is a staple crop and the second most consumed food in Ghana; however, only 48 % of what is consumed. Rising soil salinity, driven by changing climatic conditions, presents a substantial challenge to rice cultivation in Ghana, especially in coastal and delta regions where rice is a crucial stapl...

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Main Authors: Mavis Owusuaa Osei-Wusu, Remember Roger Adjei, Kwame Sarpong Appiah, Theresa Ankamah-Yeboah, Kwasi Adusei-Fosu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
Series:Scientific African
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468227625002534
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author Mavis Owusuaa Osei-Wusu
Remember Roger Adjei
Kwame Sarpong Appiah
Theresa Ankamah-Yeboah
Kwasi Adusei-Fosu
author_facet Mavis Owusuaa Osei-Wusu
Remember Roger Adjei
Kwame Sarpong Appiah
Theresa Ankamah-Yeboah
Kwasi Adusei-Fosu
author_sort Mavis Owusuaa Osei-Wusu
collection DOAJ
description Rice is a staple crop and the second most consumed food in Ghana; however, only 48 % of what is consumed. Rising soil salinity, driven by changing climatic conditions, presents a substantial challenge to rice cultivation in Ghana, especially in coastal and delta regions where rice is a crucial staple crop. The application of advanced breeding tools is essential to developing salt-tolerant rice varieties as a mitigation strategy. This review examines the application of cutting-edge techniques for developing resilient rice cultivars tailored for Ghana's saline environments. Here, we explored the effectiveness of marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, genetic modification, and genome editing as potential approaches to accelerate the breeding of salt-tolerant rice. Marker-assisted selection, utilising high-density Single Nucleotide Polymorphism markers, has enabled rapid identification and incorporation of salt tolerance traits. Advances in low-cost, high-density DNA marker technologies have made genomic selection, a method that uses genome-wide markers to predict performance without extensive phenotyping, a promising approach to accelerate genetic gains in rice salinity tolerance. Genetic modification techniques, including Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, have been used to introduce novel traits to enhance resilience to salinity. Genome editing, particularly CRISPR-Cas9, enables precise gene modifications to enhance tolerance to various abiotic stressors, including salinity. Additionally, the application of double haploid technology has streamlined the breeding process to achieve homozygosity for salinity tolerance within one generation. This review highlights the application of these tools as potential solutions to sustain rice production and food security in Ghana and elsewhere. Future research should focus on developing regulatory frameworks to safely test, validate, adopt and integrate the technologies, complemented with traditional agricultural practices to maximise their impact in farms with saline soils.
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spelling doaj-art-2f480ccc6c7b4d3abd5c3446f7e824572025-08-20T03:46:45ZengElsevierScientific African2468-22762025-09-0129e0278410.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02784Advanced breeding strategies for combating rice salinity stress in Ghana: A critical review and future perspectiveMavis Owusuaa Osei-Wusu0Remember Roger Adjei1Kwame Sarpong Appiah2Theresa Ankamah-Yeboah3Kwasi Adusei-Fosu4West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, PMB 30, Legon, Ghana; Corresponding author.Department of Horticulture and Crop Production, School of Agriculture and Technology, University of Energy and Natural Resources, P. O. Box 214, Sunyani, Ghana; Centre for Freshwater and Environmental Studies, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dublin Road, Dundalk, Co. Louth A91 K584, IrelandDepartment of Crop Science, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, PMB 30, Legon, GhanaWest Africa Centre for Crop Improvement, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, PMB 30, Legon, GhanaResilient Agriculture, AgResearch Ltd., Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North, New ZealandRice is a staple crop and the second most consumed food in Ghana; however, only 48 % of what is consumed. Rising soil salinity, driven by changing climatic conditions, presents a substantial challenge to rice cultivation in Ghana, especially in coastal and delta regions where rice is a crucial staple crop. The application of advanced breeding tools is essential to developing salt-tolerant rice varieties as a mitigation strategy. This review examines the application of cutting-edge techniques for developing resilient rice cultivars tailored for Ghana's saline environments. Here, we explored the effectiveness of marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, genetic modification, and genome editing as potential approaches to accelerate the breeding of salt-tolerant rice. Marker-assisted selection, utilising high-density Single Nucleotide Polymorphism markers, has enabled rapid identification and incorporation of salt tolerance traits. Advances in low-cost, high-density DNA marker technologies have made genomic selection, a method that uses genome-wide markers to predict performance without extensive phenotyping, a promising approach to accelerate genetic gains in rice salinity tolerance. Genetic modification techniques, including Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, have been used to introduce novel traits to enhance resilience to salinity. Genome editing, particularly CRISPR-Cas9, enables precise gene modifications to enhance tolerance to various abiotic stressors, including salinity. Additionally, the application of double haploid technology has streamlined the breeding process to achieve homozygosity for salinity tolerance within one generation. This review highlights the application of these tools as potential solutions to sustain rice production and food security in Ghana and elsewhere. Future research should focus on developing regulatory frameworks to safely test, validate, adopt and integrate the technologies, complemented with traditional agricultural practices to maximise their impact in farms with saline soils.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468227625002534Soil salinityClimate changeRice breedingFood securityMolecular breeding tools
spellingShingle Mavis Owusuaa Osei-Wusu
Remember Roger Adjei
Kwame Sarpong Appiah
Theresa Ankamah-Yeboah
Kwasi Adusei-Fosu
Advanced breeding strategies for combating rice salinity stress in Ghana: A critical review and future perspective
Scientific African
Soil salinity
Climate change
Rice breeding
Food security
Molecular breeding tools
title Advanced breeding strategies for combating rice salinity stress in Ghana: A critical review and future perspective
title_full Advanced breeding strategies for combating rice salinity stress in Ghana: A critical review and future perspective
title_fullStr Advanced breeding strategies for combating rice salinity stress in Ghana: A critical review and future perspective
title_full_unstemmed Advanced breeding strategies for combating rice salinity stress in Ghana: A critical review and future perspective
title_short Advanced breeding strategies for combating rice salinity stress in Ghana: A critical review and future perspective
title_sort advanced breeding strategies for combating rice salinity stress in ghana a critical review and future perspective
topic Soil salinity
Climate change
Rice breeding
Food security
Molecular breeding tools
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468227625002534
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AT kwamesarpongappiah advancedbreedingstrategiesforcombatingricesalinitystressinghanaacriticalreviewandfutureperspective
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