This book presents successful examples of smart genome modification in rice through a unique series of Koshihikari isogenic cultivars developed by the author. Climate change continues to impose severe constraints on rice production worldwide, and these isogenic lines incorporate new genes or gene combinations that prevent lodging caused by typhoons and heavy rains, stabilize yields, and reduce ripening damage under high temperatures.

Koshihikari, a leading Japanese japonica cultivar known for its excellent eating quality, serves as the genetic background for these improved lines. The resulting isogenic cultivars hold strong potential for application in agriculture and food‑processing industries and may contribute to addressing global food‑security challenges.

Chapters in this book describe the successive backcrossing strategy used to modify key loci related to regional adaptability and grain‑yield potential, and they present multiple Koshihikari isogenic cultivars with altered allelic constitutions at one or two loci. This framework enables precise evaluation of the genetic basis of important agronomic traits.

By integrating fundamental genetics with practical breeding methodology, the book serves as a valuable reference for scientists and graduate students in plant genetics, genomics, molecular biology, breeding, and biotechnology, as well as for plant breeders and biotechnologists in universities, research institutes, and seed and seedling companies.

Motonori Tomita is a Professor at the Faculty of Human Sciences, Kobe Shoin University, Japan, and an Emeritus Professor at the Research Institute of Green Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Japan. His research focuses on genetic modification of cereal crops based on genetics and genomics, and he is working to identify genes that confer resilience against climate change. He is also a qualified International Professional Engineer in the field of Bioengineering under APEC and the International Professional Engineers Agreement (IPEA). He has served on the editorial board of Frontiers in Genetics since 2023 and on the topical advisory panel of Plants since 2020.