Rice represents a unique opportunity for improvement through genetic engineering. This new book provides a detailed review of past and present developments in the genetic engineering of rice, as well as an informed examination of current genetic engineering material and methods.

"This book provides a good entree into biotechnology and rice. . .The enduring strength of this book will be the context it will continue to provide for understanding subsequent research."
--Science and Technology

"The author has a strong and well-deserved reputation in the area of rice transformation, and the 'meat' of the book rather comprehensively presents the methods, explants, successes and failures, and limitations on data interpretation experienced in the field."
--Food Science and Technology

Table of Contents:

Preface -- 1. RICE AS A GLOBAL CROP -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 Botanical Aspects -- 1.3 Rice Varieties -- 1.4 Rice-Growing Regions -- 1.5 Rice Improvement Programs -- 1.6 Cultivation -- 1. 7 Nutritional Value -- 1. 8 Processing -- 1. 9 Pathogens and Diseases -- 1.10 Biotechnology and Rice Improvement -- 1. 11 Targets for Rice Improvement -- 1.12 References -- 2. CALLUS AND SUSPENSION CULTURES -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Historical Background and Review of Early Rice in vitro Culture -- 2. 3 Regeneration from Various Explant Sources -- 2.4 Tissue Culture-Induced Variation -- 2.5 Mutagenesis and in vitro Selection -- 2.6 Biochemical and Physiological Studies -- 2. 7 Conclusion -- 2. 8 References -- 3. RICE PROTOPLASTS -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Early Experiments -- 3.3 Plant Regeneration from Rice Protoplasts -- 3.4 Protoplast Fusion and Somatic Hybridization -- 3.5 Characteristics of Protoplast-Derived Rice Plants and Somaclonal Variation -- 3.6 Miscellaneous Studies Involving Protoplasts -- 3.7 Conclusion -- 3.8 References -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Classical Methods of Gene Transfer -- 4.3 Protoplast-Based Methods -- 4.4 Bombardment -- 4.5 Injection-Based Methods -- 4.6 Attempts Utilizing Agrobacterium -- 4.7 Transformation by Explant -- 4.8 Genes Introduced into Rice and Their Expression Patterns -- 4.9 Molecular and Genetic Characterization of Transgenic Plants -- 4.10 Evaluation of Transgenic Plants (Greenhouse and Field) -- 4.11 Conclusions, Prospects and Applications -- 4.12 References -- 5. RICE GENES INTRODUCED INTO HETEROLOGOUS SYSTEMS -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Oryzacystatin I -- 5.3 Promoter from the Rice RCH10 Gene -- 5.4 The rgpl Gene -- 5.5 The GOS2 Gene -- 5.6 Glutamine Synthetase Promoters -- 5.7 Rice Actin 1 -- 5.8 The rab-l6 Gene -- 5.9 Glutelin Promoter -- 5.10 Rice Prolamin -- 5.11 Rice Homeobox 1 (OSH1) Gene -- 5.12 Conclusion -- 5.13 References -- Index.