Improving rice yield with an additional gene

Source: The post is based on the article “Improving rice yield with an additional gene” published in The Hindu on 20th August 2022.

What is the News?

Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences have discovered a way to boost the yield of rice crops by up to 40%. 

What did the Chinese Scientists do to boost the yield of the rice crop?

By giving a Chinese rice variety a second copy of one of its own genes, Chinese scientists have boosted its yield by up to 40%. 

For instance, they inserted an extra copy of one of the genes, known as OsDREB1C, into a rice variety called Nipponbare.

This change allowed the plant to absorb more fertilizer, increase photosynthesis and accelerate flowering. All of this could contribute to larger harvests.

Note: The researchers added the same ‘native’ gene again, and not any foreign one (as in the case of BT cotton or BT soybean). This method is best described as genetic modulation.

– Gene modulation refers to the process of temporarily altering gene expression levels without making heritable changes to the underlying cellular DNA. It is not a genetic modification (GM) and neither the result of a transgenic plant, carrying elements from another donor. 

What is the significance of this research for India?

These findings are particularly relevant to India, which must aim to continue its world position in the production of rice and marketing.

India is the world’s largest exporter of rice. It exported 18.75 million metric tons to over 150 countries during the year 2021-22, thereby earning $6.11 billion. Vietnam was the second-largest producer of rice.

With the growing demand in the coming years, strategies like this can be used by India to increase the production and export of rice.