China – Lab cooks up drought-resistant rice
New research could help save lives in drought-hit parts of the world.
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New research could help save lives in drought-hit parts of the world.
Source: South China Morning Post 12/06/2015 – Mainland scientists claim to have found a way to change the genetic make-up of a popular type of rice, which could require less fertiliser and thus help the environment. Chinese rice, especially the japonica subspecies grown in northern provinces like Heilongjiang province, requires the heavy use of fertilisers…
By reducing the rice plant’s height, the gene reduced the incidence of stem collapse prior to harvest and increased the number of tillers per plant, enabling a significant increase in grain yield.
Yuan Longping, “the father of hybrid rice”, has set a new world record for hybrid rice production by developing a variety that yields an average of more than 15 tonnes per hectare.
Until a few years ago, no one would have considered exporting much rice to China, but that’s changing.