The transfer of a biotic resistance gene from indica rice cultivars into japonica cultivars by conventional breeding methods often difficult due to high sterility of the progenies, poor plant type, and linkage drag. Molecular markers provide opportunities to map resistance genes and accelerate the application of marker-assisted backcross(MAB) breeding through the precise transfer of target genomic regions into the recurrent parent. The basis of MAB breeding is to transfer a specific gene/allele of the donor parent into the recurrent parent genome while selecting against donor introgressions across the rest of the genome. The effectiveness of MAB breeding depends on the availability of closely linked DNA markers for the target locus, the size of the population, the number of backcrosses and the position and number of markers for background selection. We have successfully developed Bph18 version of the commercially cultivated japonica elite cultivar by using MAB and incorporating the resistance gene Bph18 that conferred enhanced resistance to BPH. MAB breeding provides a new opportunity for the selective transfer of biotic resistance genes into elite indica rice cultivars devoid of linkage drag. In additon, molecular markers precisely estimate the introgression of chromosome segments from donor parents and can speed up the recipient genome recovery via background selection.