Three studies of rice genetics were released in major scientific journals this week, and this article from NPR examines how some scientists are harnessing this knowledge into efforts to develop new growing methods for rice plants.
One study featured in the NPR piece describes the so-called “deep water” rice plants, which, scientists hope, will help rice plants to grow in spite of rising floodwater levels.
“One of the solutions is that the plant starts to grow very fast in such a way that parts of the shoot will be above the water level, so that that part can function as a sort of snorkel,” says Rens Voesenek, a plant biologist at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
However, it seems that while these “deep water” plants could survive floods, they do not yield much rice. But scientists in Japan believe they have isolated the SNORKEL1 and SNORKEL2 genes, responsibe for allowing an ellogation of the plant shoots within the rice genome, and claim they may be able to inject these genes into regular rice plants to produce a better yield.
A second study to come out of Japan regarding gene identification says that scientists have uncovered the gene that helps rice resist a devastating form of fungus called “rice blast.” They believe they can use the discovery to develop blast-resistant rice that also taste goods, as crops bred to resist the fungus in the past have been unpleasant to the palate.
Scientists are hoping that the findings of these studies and the increase in knowledge of the rice genome will help pathe the way for an increase in both quality and quantity of rice production.
Posted by Sara Chupein
