Scientists discover gene that increases rice yields


Lazarus Sauti

Scientists have discovered a wonder rice gene that could dramatically increase yields of one of the world’s most important food crops.

This is according to the Philippines based International Rice Research Institute.

The institute said, “Preliminary tests show that yields of modern long-grain ‘indica’ rice varieties, the world’s most widely grown types of rice, can rise by 13-36 percent when infused with the so-called SPIKE gene.”

In a statement, IRRI genetic transformation laboratory chief Inez Slamet-Loedin added, “Our work showed that SPIKE is indeed one of the major genes responsible for the yield increase that breeders have spent so many years searching for.”

Rice breeder Tsutomu Ishimaru, head of the IRRI-led SPIKE breeding programme said testing of new rice varieties infused with the gene is under way across several developing countries in Asia.

Ishimaru also said, “We believe that these will contribute to food security in these areas once the new varieties are released.”

Increasing the yield means growing more rice on the same amount of land, using the same resources.

According to IRRI spokeswoman Gladys Ebron, there is no definite timetable for when the rice containing the SPIKE gene will be distributed to farmers.

Added Ebron, “The SPIKE gene was first discovered by Japanese breeder, Nobuya Kobayashi, following long-running research starting in 1989 on a tropical ‘japonica’ rice variety that is grown in Indonesia.”

Tropical japonica rice is mainly grown in East Asia and accounts for just 10 percent of global rice production.

Breeders from IRRI, a non-profit research group established in the 1960s, then worked to incorporate the gene into ‘indica’ varieties that are widely used in major rice-growing areas of Asia.

The transfer, Ebron said, did not involve genetic modification of the crop, a controversial issue in food production.

She added, “It is just conventional breeding.”

According to IRRI, rice is the developing world’s most important food crop, consumed by more than half of humanity, including 640 million Asians who live in poverty.

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