Rice crops fail in drought conditions or where the soil is too 0 salty. So work is underway to ‘climate-proof’ rice so it can grow in even the most 17 of conditions.
Drought affects 23 million hectares of rice annually, and salt is equally 18 ; it reduces yields by 40% and consequently 19 the pressures on food supplies. Further reductions in yields are likely due to climate 20 .
Scientists are attempting to produce a super rice by mixing genes from drought-tolerant plants with those from another that exploits nitrogen 21 , thus enabling it to grow without fertiliser.
Comparing the new rice’s 22 with that of ordinary rice, the super rice produced 17% more than the ordinary variety in individual trials and 42% more when subjected to a combination of stresses.
In addition, researchers are working on improving other crops.
For example, one team has developed a potato that is 23 to certain diseases. It is hoped that developments such as this will 24 the impact of climate change in developing countries.