Yesterday we talked about increasing rice yield under flood conditions, scientists seem to really be making sure that Rice crops stay healthy under all natural catastrophic conditions.

India and Thailand have both seen droughts in recent days, and droughts lead to, of course, lack of agricultural production. Rice, consumed more than any other crop worldwide, has been one of the victims of this drought. Drought can bring rice production to nearly nothing, and if conditions get severe enough, a rice famine could harm millions of families worldwide.

The University of Alberta conducted a study to help rice crops fight against the regular droughts that they face. The fight against drought begins with trying to locate a particular set of genes that effects rice productivity in drought. After a good deal of research, they identified a particular group of genes that they figured to have a positive effect on the rice. Subjected to severe drought conditions, the rice crops with the new genes were twice as productive as the crops that did not have the new gene. The new genes allow rice to develop roots that dig deeper, allowing the plant to reach water and nutrients that it could previously reach.

News Story Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081120162847.htm
Scientific Article Link:http://crop.scijournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/47/2/507

Discussion Question:
How can we implement the crop with new genes into our world in a cost-effective manner?