New salt-tolerant rice strains have been developed by Chinese scientists in the hope of ensuring food security that’s been threatened by rising sea levels. Test fields in Tianjin recorded a yield of 4.6 metric tons per acre last year, higher than the national average for production of standard rice varieties.
The secret to the bountiful harvest is new salt-tolerant rice strains developed by Chinese scientists in the hope of ensuring food security that’s been threatened by rising sea levels, increasing grain demand and supply chain disruptions.
Known as “seawater rice” because it’s grown in salty soil near the sea, the strains were created by over-expressing a gene from selected wild rice that’s more resistant to saline and alkali. Test fields in Tianjin – the municipality that encompasses Jinghai – recorded a yield of 4.6 metric tons per acre last year, higher than the national average for production of standard rice varieties.
Source : South China Morning Post