Rice plants are semiaquatic plants. In fact, a number of rice varieties are capable of escaping from flooding stress. Certain varieties have ability of submergence-tolerance, while some others show an opposite ability of submergence-avoidance. Recent studies demonatrated that some ethylene response factors are essential for rice plants to overcome flooding stress. Sub1A and SNORKEL genes encoding Ethylene Response Factors (ERFs) are the genes that play critical roles both in submergence tolerance and avoidance. Sub1A gene from submergence-tolerant rice varieties restricts carbohydrate consumption and elongation growth, resulting in saving energy source in the prolonged flooding environment. On the other hand, SNORKEL genes, another ethylene response factor genes from deepwater rice, play a critical role in promoting rapid elongation growth under partial submergence, enabling deepwater rice to grow over the flooding water