By Brian Consiglio
University of Missouri researchers have created rice plants that resist bacterial blight, a devastating disease that threatens one of the world’s most important food crops.
The breakthrough could help farmers in parts of Asia and Africa, where the disease can destroy harvests and threaten livelihoods.
Led by Bing Yang, a Curators’ Distinguished Professor in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, the work opens new possibilities for developing stronger crops that can withstand other agricultural challenges.
“Bacterial blight can wreak havoc on rice crops, reducing both yield and quality, which creates serious challenges for farmers who depend on the staple grain,” Yang said. “Our lab investigates how bacterial blight interacts with rice at the genetic level — knowledge that helps us identify ways to strengthen the plant’s natural defenses.”
Building stronger crops
Before farmers can reap the benefits of this work, the Mizzou team must first transfer its findings from a laboratory line into rice varieties grown commercially. Researchers also need to conduct additional testing, navigate regulatory requirements and find industry partners to help commercialize any resulting varieties.
While it may be several years before farmers can grow the rice plants developed at Mizzou, Yang sees opportunities to apply the same approach to other crops, including corn and soybeans.
Source : missouri.edu