SciDev.Net

Transgenic rice plants (left) and non-transgenic rice plants (right) after drought stress

A new type of genetically engineered rice has been developed that is more tolerant of drought, salt and extreme temperatures.

In a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from the United States and Korea report that they added sugar genes from a bacterium to create the improved plant. They also added a 'promoter' sequence, which only switches on genes under certain conditions.

The new crop could help farmers in developing countries to increase yields on poor land by as much as 20 per cent.

Link to BBC Online news story

Photo credit: PNAS