Methods and agricultural uses of genetic engineering applied to rice crop Resumen: En biotecnologia de arroz se han logrado avances en transformacion genetica, con importantes resultados en el mejoramiento genetico de variedades elite de las subespecies japonica e indica . Con el proposito de revisar los metodos y los usos agricolas de la ingenieria genetica aplicada al cultivo del arroz, se usaron varias palabras claves en idioma ingles en algunas de las bases de datos de revistas cientificas indexadas, disponibles en el Sistema Nacional de Bibliotecas de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia (SINAB), seleccionando documentos publicados entre 2000 y 2011. La base de esta revision inicial, se complemento con articulos publicados en fechas anteriores, que se consideraron relevantes, debido a que implicaban cambios metodologicos importantes. Desde que se logro producir la primera planta transgenica de arroz a finales de los 80´s, varios protocolos para la transferencia de genes se han empleado con exito logrando la modificacion genetica de mas de 60 cultivares de arroz. Para ello se han empleado sistemas de transformacion tanto directos como indirectos. Se han realizado modificaciones de rasgos importantes en el cultivo, tales como la resistencia a factores bioticos (insectos, hongos, bacterias, virus, nematodos), tolerancia a factores abioticos (salinidad, sequia, altas y bajas temperaturas, inmersion), y mejoramiento de caracteristicas agronomicas (calidad nutricional, rendimiento, uso de nutrientes, tolerancia a herbicidas). Palabras claves: Arroz; cultivos transgenicos; factores bioticos; factores abioticos. Abstract: In rice biotechnology advances have been made in genetic transformation, with significant results in breeding elite varieties of japonica and indica subspecies. In order to review the methods and agricultural uses of genetic engineering applied to rice, calves were used several words in English in some of the databases of scientific journals available in the National Libraries National University of Colombia (SINAB), selecting papers published between 2000 and 2011. Based on this initial review, it addition to some articles published at earlier dates, which were considered relevant because they involved significant methodological changes. Since it was able to produce the first transgenic rice plant in the late 80's, several protocols for gene transfer have been used successfully achieving the genetic modification of more than 60 rice cultivars. For this transformation systems have been used both direct and indirect. There have been significant changes in the crop traits such as resistance to biotic (insects, fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes), tolerance to abiotic (salinity, drought, high and low temperatures, immersion), improved features agronomic (nutritional quality, yield, nutrient use, herbicide tolerance). Key words: Rice; transgenic crops; biotic factor; abiotic factor.