Understanding the genetic basis of rice heterosis: Advances and prospects

Abstract Heterosis, which describes the superior vigor and yield of F1 hybrids with respect to their parents, is observed in many rice hybrid crosses. The exploitation of heterosis is a great leap in the history of rice breeding. With advances in genomics and genetics, high-resolution mapping and functional identification of heterosis-associated loci have been performed in rice. Here we summarize advances in understanding the genetic basis of grain yield heterosis in hybrid rice and provide a vision for the genetic study and breeding application of rice heterosis in the future.