Wax deposition is vital for thermotolerance in rice

Abstract

Rice is a staple food and source of nutrition for over half of the world’s population. Unfortunately, it is highly susceptible to heat stress both, at vegetative and reproductive developmental stages. In the current scenario of climate change and global warming, even a 1°C rise in environmental temperature could decline cereal production by 6–7% (Lesk et al., 2016). Thus, it could be a serious threat for the food security of ever-growing world population. To combat the environmental emergency there is a dire need of enhancing the thermotolerance important crop plant rice.