Heavy rice stands tall

Emma Marris

Genetic techniques guide natural breeding process.


Biologists say they have built a better rice plant: one that is heavy with seeds, but not so tall that it will fall over in the rain.

The work is expected to help increase yields of rice, which is the staple grain for the majority of the world's population. The many-seeded variety is less likely than others to bend double in high winds or rain, and this keeps the tops out of the water and reduces their chance of rotting.

The new plant was made possible through a mix of modern and old-fashioned techniques. First, the recent availability of the rice genome allowed the researchers to investigate areas of the plant's DNA that influence productivity. Motoyuki Ashikari of Nagoya University and Hitoshi Sakakibara of RIKEN in Yokohama, along with their colleagues...


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