Oryza Glaberrima

 Oryza glaberrima (African rice) and Oryza sativa (Asian rice) are the two species of rice that are cultivated. Whereas O. sativa is dominant in terms of area under cultivation, O. glaberrima, which is indigenous to Africa, remains important in some areas on the continent and essential to rice improvement programs as it offers a pool of genes for resistance to a plethora of biotic and abiotic stresses. The release of the O. glaberrima genome will contribute immensely in developing stress-tolerant varieties, whereas ongoing characterization of the physicochemical properties of O. glaberrima reveals unique traits that could be exploited in developing functional foods. Oryza glaberrima (African rice) and Oryza sativa (Asian rice) are the two species of rice that are cultivated. Whereas O. sativa is dominant in terms of area under cultivation, O. glaberrima, which is indigenous to Africa, remains important in some areas on the continent and essential to rice improvement programs as it offers a pool of genes for resistance to a plethora of biotic and abiotic stresses. The release of the O. glaberrima genome will contribute immensely in developing stress-tolerant varieties, whereas ongoing characterization of the physicochemical properties of O. glaberrima reveals unique traits that could be exploited in developing functional foods.