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BBC
- The first field trials in China of a new variety of
genetically-modified rice suggest the crop could offer
significant benefits to farming and nutrition in the region,
say international scientists.
The rice, which has been engineered to withstand damage
from pests, has a higher yield than conventional rice,
according to researchers from the Philippines and China
who have developed and tested the new breed.
Farmers harvest rice on a Chinese hillside
The
genetically-engineered commercial variety is designed
to be resistant to certain insect pests by producing Bt,
an insecticidal protein of soil bacteria.
To
date, the only commercialised Bt crops have been cotton,
maize and potato.
Rice
has been produced in the Orient for thousands of years.
It is a staple diet for 40% of the world's population.
Since
1976, much of the rice grown in Asia has been of hybrid
varieties, which have higher yields than inbred types
but are more vulnerable to certain pests and diseases.
Scientists
have been developing new breeds of GM rice to try to solve
the problem of pest damage, which can wipe out a crop.
This
latest variety showed strong resistance against repeated
infestations of two pests, yellow stem borer and leaffolder,
with little or no effect on yield, according to the first
field studies.
The
new rice technology may help farmers increase dwindling
rice stockpiles in developing countries.
However,
critics argue that while high yield rice may benefit farmers
on good soil, it does nothing to help the poorest farmers
working in the worst conditions.
Scientists
at Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China, and
the International Rice Research Institute, Philippines,
carried out the work.
The
research is published in the journal Nature Biotechnology.
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