Genetically engineering rice to have better salt tolerance could allow it to be grown in places it would otherwise fail, new research from the University of Sheffield has found.
Genetically engineering rice to have better salt tolerance could allow it to be grown in places it would otherwise fail, new research from the University of Sheffield has found.
As sea levels rise as a result of climate change, more and more places around the world are struggling with seawater inundation - where salt water from the sea is flooding further inland and destroying crops which can’t cope with the increased salinity.
Rice is one of the worst affected crops - the most important carbohydrate on earth, it is relied on by 3.5 billion people every day, but in countries like Vietnam it is becoming harder and harder to grow due to increasing seawater interference.
However, findings from the University of Sheffield’s Institute for Sustainable Food have revealed that genetically modifying rice to reduce the number of stomata is has - tiny openings used for water loss - makes it more salt-resistant.
Read more at University of Sheffield
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