Programmes for the genetic improvement of rice populations through recurrent selection have made little use of molecular markers, even though they could be very helpful in answering some methodological questions. This paper describes major types of molecular markers, and briefly reviews techniques for their use, comparing their respective advantages and drawbacks. Molecular markers can be used in genetic improvement programmes for studying genetic diversity, mapping or marker-assisted selection. Detailed examples are given of the possible uses of markers in a recurrent selection programme for rice, including (1) improved selection of parents constituting the population-their genetic diversity would be maximized; (2) optimising the number of recombination cycles by assessing the evolution of deviation in the panmixia in populations of successive cycles; (3) assessing the effect of population improvement on genetic diversity by comparing the various cycles of recurrent selection or known patterns of diversity; (4) helping to confirm the location of the male sterility gene used for intercrossing and assessing the extent and nature of linkage drag accompanying its use; and (5) detecting quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and manipulating the alleles at these QTLs through marker-assisted selection.