A team of scientists under the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization in Japan has developed a new salt-tolerant rice variety to help improve yields in paddy fields with high soil salinity as a result of high tides and frequent typhoons due to global warming.
The team reported finding a gene that determines the angle of root growth so that it grows along the surface of the ground. The scientists said the genetically improved rice saw a 15% increase in yield in salty water. The shallower roots are believed to improve the plant’s uptake of phosphorus. which is an essential nutrient.
Read the full story at Kyodo News
