Genetic Tweak Could Yield Increased Food Production, Boost Drought Tolerance: Research

A genetic tweak that targets Ribonucleic acid (RNA) can increase the yield of rice and potato crops significantly and enhance drought tolerance, which could help address food security issue in developing nations, including in India, according to a research.

Scientists from the University of Chicago, Peking University and Guizhou University in a report said that adding a gene encoding for a protein called FTO to both rice and potato plants increased their yield by 50 per cent in field tests.

'The change really is dramatic. What's more, it worked with almost every type of plant we tried it with so far, and it's a very simple modification to make,' said University of Chicago Prof Chuan He, who together with Prof Guifang Jia at Peking University led the research.

The researchers - along with other leading experts- are hopeful about the potential of this breakthrough, especially in the face of climate change and other pressures on crop systems worldwide, added the report.

“This is a very exciting technology and could potentially help address problems of poverty and food insecurity at a global scale—and could also potentially be useful in responding to climate change,” said Michael Kremer, who was awarded a Nobel Prize for his work on alleviating global poverty. He is a professor at the University of Chicago. 

(PTI)