A new variety of GM rice: three in one
Superris is derived
From now on, farmers in Asia and Africa will be able to get the same harvest regardless of the weather. Strains capable of coping with each of these troubles separately have already been bred. But for the first time, a culture that opposes all three at once has been revealed to the world.
Arcadia Biosciences (USA) borrowed the gene for tolerance to salty soils from the Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis thaliana), a representative of the cabbage family, a model organism, and the gene that allows to withstand drought – from the common soil bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The gene that helps the plant to absorb nitrogen more efficiently so that it does not need additional fertilizers is taken from barley.
According to the International Rice Research Institute, drought annually covers 23 million hectares of rice fields in South and Southeast Asia and costs the world $13 billion a year. In some states of India, it sometimes reduces rice yields by 40%. Salt is an equally serious problem. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, approximately 800 million hectares of land are salted, which costs agriculture about $1 billion per year.
Arcadia has completed two trials of its new rice. Under conditions of drought of varying intensity, the yield of the modified variety was 12-17% higher than that of the rice from which this strain originated. The novelty also coped better with the lack of fertilizers: the yield was 13-18% higher than that of the control variety. When both rice were offered drought and lack of nutritious things at once, the GM variety was born 15% more abundant. And it showed itself best in the confrontation with salty soil: its indicators exceeded the achievements of unchanged rice by 42%.
So far, the company has reported on this only in a press release, and the researchers are looking forward to publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
Arcadia creates varieties specifically for the climate of Asia and Africa. For example, this rice was tested in Kenya. Work is underway on wheat and corn that would be resistant to the weather conditions of these continents.
Last year, it should be noted, drought-resistant corn was first bred in the USA. About two thousand farmers of the corn belt sowed it on an area of 50 thousand hectares, according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agrobiotechnological Applications. She also reports that a commercial release of drought-resistant sugar cane is expected in Indonesia this year.
This is a relatively new trend. Previously, cultures were created with genes against herbicides, insects and diseases, and not the negative effects of the environment.
Prepared based on the materials of NewScientist: Super-rice defies triple whammy of stresses.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru04.03.2014