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Abstract High reproductive compatibility between crops and their wild relatives can provide benefits for crop breeding but also poses risks for agricultural weed evolution. Weedy rice is a feral relative of rice that infests paddies and causes severe crop losses worldwide. In regions of tropical Asia where the wild progenitor of rice occurs, weedy rice could be influenced by hybridization with the wild species. Genomic analysis of this phenomenon has been very limited. Here we use whole genome sequence analyses of 217 wild, weedy and cultivated rice samples to show that wild rice hybridization has contributed substantially to the evolution of Southeast Asian weedy rice, with some strains acquiring weed-adaptive traits through introgression from the wild progenitor. Our study highlights how adaptive introgression from wild species can contribute to agricultural weed evolution, and it provides a case study of parallel evolution of weediness in independently-evolved strains of a weedy crop relative. 

SUMMARY The repeated evolution of high seed shattering during multiple independent de‐domestications of cultivated Asian rice (Oryza sativa) into weedy rice (Oryzaspp.) is a prime example of convergent evolution. Weedy rice populations converge in histological features of the abscission zone (AZ), a crucial structure for seed abscission, while ancestral cultivated rice populations exhibit varied AZ morphology and levels of shattering. However, the genetic bases of these phenotypic patterns remain unclear. We examined the expression profiles of the AZ region and its surrounding tissues at three developmental stages in two low‐shattering cultivars ofausandtemperate japonicadomesticated groups and in two genotypes of their derived high‐shattering weed groups, Blackhull Awned (BHA) and Spanish Weedy Rice (SWR), respectively. Consistent with the greater alteration of AZ morphology during the de‐domestication of SWR than BHA, fewer genes exhibited a comparable AZ‐region exclusive expression pattern between weed and crop in thetemperate japonicalineage than in theauslineage. Transcription factors related to the repression of lignin and secondary cell wall deposition, such as,OsWRKY102andOsXND‐1‐like, along with certain known shattering genes involved in AZ formation, likely played a role in maintaining AZ region identity in both lineages. Meanwhile, most genes exhibiting AZ‐region exclusive expression patterns do not overlap between the two lineages and the genes exhibiting differential expression in the AZ region between weed and crop across the two lineages are enriched for different gene ontology terms. Our findings suggest genetic flexibility in shaping AZ morphology, while genetic constraints on AZ identity determination in these two lineages. 

ABSTRACT Weedy rice is a close relative of cultivated rice (Oryza sativa) that infests rice fields worldwide and drastically reduces yields. To combat this agricultural pest, rice farmers in the southern US began to grow herbicide‐resistant (HR) rice cultivars in the early 2000s, which permitted the application of herbicides that selectively targeted weedy rice without harming the crop. The widespread adoption of HR rice coincided with increased reliance on hybrid rice cultivars in place of traditional inbred varieties. Although both cultivated and weedy rice are predominantly self‐fertilising, the combined introductions of HR and hybrid rice dramatically altered the opportunities and selective pressure for crop‐weed hybridization and adaptive introgression. In this study, we generated genotyping‐by‐sequencing data for 178 weedy rice samples collected from across the rice growing region of the southern US; these were analysed together with previously published rice and weedy rice genome sequences to determine the recent genomic and population genetic consequences of adaptive introgression and selection for herbicide resistance in US weedy rice populations. We find a reshaped geographical structure of southern US weedy rice as well as purging of crop‐derived alleles in some weed strains of crop‐weed hybrid origin. Furthermore, we uncover evidence that related weedy rice strains have made use of different genetic mechanisms to respond to selection. Lastly, we identify widespread presence of HR alleles in both hybrid‐derived and nonadmixed samples, which further supports an overall picture of weedy rice evolution and adaptation through diverse genetic mechanisms. 

Abstract The modification of seed shattering has been a recurring theme in rice evolution. The wild ancestor of cultivated rice disperses its seeds, but reduced shattering was selected during multiple domestication events to facilitate harvesting. Conversely, selection for increased shattering occurred during the evolution of weedy rice, a weed invading cultivated rice fields that has originated multiple times from domesticated ancestors. Shattering requires formation of a tissue known as the abscission zone (AZ), but how the AZ has been modified throughout rice evolution is unclear. We quantitatively characterized the AZ characteristics of relative length, discontinuity, and intensity in 86 cultivated and weedy rice accessions. We reconstructed AZ evolutionary trajectories and determined the degree of convergence among different cultivated varieties and among independent weedy rice populations. AZ relative length emerged as the best feature to distinguish high and low shattering rice. Cultivated varieties differed in average AZ morphology, revealing lack of convergence in how shattering reduction was achieved during domestication. In contrast, weedy rice populations typically converged on complete AZs, irrespective of origin. By examining AZ population-level morphology, our study reveals its evolutionary plasticity, and suggests that the genetic potential to modify the ecologically and agronomically important trait of shattering is plentiful in rice lineages. 

Abstract One of the common mechanisms to trigger plant innate immunity is recognition of pathogen avirulence gene products directly by products of major resistance (R) genes in a gene for gene manner. In the USA, theRgenes,Pik-s, PiKh/m, andPi-ta, Pi-39(t), andPtrgenes have been effectively deployed to prevent the infections ofM. oryzaeraces, IB49, and IC17 for some time.Pi-9is only recently being deployed to provide overlapped and complimentary resistance toMagnaporthe oryzaeraces IB49, IC17 and IE1k in the USA. Pi-ta, Pi-39(t), Pi9 are major nuclear binding site-leucine rich (NLR) proteins, and Ptr is an atypical R protein with 4 armadillo repeats. AlphaFold is an artificial intelligence system that predicts a protein 3D structure from its amino acid sequence. Here we report genome sequence analyses of the effectors and avirulence (AVR) genes,AVR-PitaandAVR-Pik, andAVR-Pi9, in 3 differentialM. oryzaeraces. Using AlphaFold 2 and 3 we find strong evidence of direct interactions of products of resistance genesPi-taandPikwithM. oryzaeavirulence (AVR) genes,AVR-PitaandAVR-Pikrespectively. We also found that AVR-Pita interacts with Pi-39(t) and Ptr, and Pi9 interacts with both AVR-Pi9 and AVR-Pik. Validation of direct interactions of two pairs of R and AVR proteins supported a direct interaction mechanism of plant innate immunity. Detecting interaction of both Ptr and Pi39(t) with AVR-Pita, and Pi-9 with both AVR-Pi9 and AVR-Pik, revealed a new insight into recognition of pathogen signaling molecules by these host R genes in triggering plant innate immunity. 

Abstract Weedy rice (Oryzaspp.) is a weedy relative of the cultivated rice that competes with the crop and causes significant production loss. The BHA (blackhull awned) US weedy rice group has evolved fromauscultivated rice and differs from its ancestors in several important weediness traits, including flowering time, plant height and seed shattering. Prior attempts to determine the genetic basis of weediness traits in plants using linkage mapping approaches have not often considered weed origins. However, the timing of divergence between crossed parents can affect the detection of quantitative trait loci (QTL) relevant to the evolution of weediness. Here, we used a QTL‐seq approach that combines bulked segregant analysis and high‐throughput whole genome resequencing to map the three important weediness traits in an F₂population derived from a cross between BHA weedy rice with an ancestralauscultivar. We compared these QTLs with those previously detected in a cross of BHA with a more distantly related crop,indica. We identified multiple QTLs that overlapped with regions under selection during the evolution of weedy BHA rice and some candidate genes possibly underlying the evolution weediness traits in BHA. We showed that QTLs detected with ancestor–descendant crosses are more likely to be involved in the evolution of weediness traits than those detected from crosses of more diverged taxa. 

Rice blast, caused by the ascomycete fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, is one of the most problematic diseases for rice production, threatening global food security. Genetic resistance to some M. oryzae races can be achieved using major resistance genes that recognize their corresponding fungal avirulence genes. Weedy rice, a close relative of cultivated rice that competes with the crop, has evolved unique genetic mechanisms to resist M. oryzae infections; thus, weedy rice can serve as an excellent resource for blast control. In this study, we assessed disease scores of 183 F₅and F₆recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a weedy rice × crop biparental mapping population and their parental lines, a Black Hull Awn weedy rice strain (PI 653413, RR14) and the aus-196 rice variety, using four distinct common U.S. blast races (IB33, IG1, IE1K, and IC17) under greenhouse conditions. All the parental lines were resistant to all blast races; however, RILs showed a wide degree of variation in resistance. Genotyping-by-sequencing of the RIL population and parents generated 1,498 single-nucleotide polymorphisms, which were used to construct a linkage map, and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping of blast resistance was performed using r/qtl. A single major blast resistance QTL on chromosome 12 was mapped to the Pi-ta/Pi39(t)/Ptr locus. Identification of Pi-ta/Pi-39(t)/Ptr as the key contributor to blast resistance in weedy rice provides insight into the evolution and adaptation of weedy rice and can aid in the development of blast-resistant rice varieties through marker-assisted selection. 

Rice blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae, is a major threat to global rice production, necessitating the development of resistant cultivars through genetic improvement. Breakthroughs in rice genomics, including the complete genome sequencing of japonica and indica subspecies and the availability of various sequence-based molecular markers, have greatly advanced the genetic analysis of blast resistance. To date, approximately 122 blast-resistance genes have been identified, with 39 of these genes cloned and molecularly characterized. The application of these findings in marker-assisted selection (MAS) has significantly improved rice breeding, allowing for the efficient integration of multiple resistance genes into elite cultivars, enhancing both the durability and spectrum of resistance. Pangenomic studies, along with AI-driven tools like AlphaFold2, RoseTTAFold, and AlphaFold3, have further accelerated the identification and functional characterization of resistance genes, expediting the breeding process. Future rice blast disease management will depend on leveraging these advanced genomic and computational technologies. Emphasis should be placed on enhancing computational tools for the large-scale screening of resistance genes and utilizing gene editing technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9 for functional validation and targeted resistance enhancement and deployment. These approaches will be crucial for advancing rice blast resistance, ensuring food security, and promoting agricultural sustainability. 

Weeds that infest crops are a primary factor limiting agricultural productivity worldwide. Weedy rice, also called red rice, has experienced independent evolutionary events through gene flow from wild rice relatives and de-domestication from cultivated rice. Each evolutionary event supplied/equipped weedy rice with competitive abilities that allowed it to thrive with cultivated rice and severely reduce yields in rice fields. Understanding how competitiveness evolves is important not only for noxious agricultural weed management but also for the transfer of weedy rice traits to cultivated rice. Molecular studies of weedy rice using simple sequence repeat (SSR), restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), and whole-genome sequence have shown great genetic variations in weedy rice populations globally. These variations are evident both at the whole-genome and at the single-allele level, including Sh4 (shattering), Hd1 (heading and flowering), and Rc (pericarp pigmentation). The goal of this review is to describe the genetic diversity of current weedy rice germplasm and the significance of weedy rice germplasm as a novel source of disease resistance. Understanding these variations, especially at an allelic level, is also crucial as individual loci that control important traits can be of great target to rice breeders.