Male Sterility and Utilization of Heterosis in Rice

Male sterility is well known in plant kingdom and it is also the basic for the utilization of heterosis,especially in crops.The researches about male sterility not only contribute the development of microspores but also to the improvement of the agricultural production directly.This review summarizes the types and characters of male sterility in rice,including genic male sterility and cytoplasmic male sterility,and recent studies about the restoration of fertility in cytoplamic male sterile rice are also discussed.