Almost half of the world’s rice is grown in soils that are poor in nutrients, su

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Almost half of the world’s rice is grown in soils that are poor in nutrients, subject to flooding or drought , or farmed by people unable to afford fertilizers. Can genetic research address these limitations? Almost half of the world’s rice is grown in soils that are poor in nutrients, subject to flooding or drought , or farmed by people unable to afford fertilizers. Can genetic research address these limitations? ENETICS, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY The Green Revolution Revisited: Genetic Research with Rice improvement of crop plants to provide f the 7 billion people now Geneticists are now using several strat- living on Earth, over 800 higher yields. But are we approaching egies to develop more productive rice. million do not have enough the theoretical limits of yield in impor Conventional hybridization and selection to eat. That number is expected to grow tant crop plants? Recent work with rice techniques, such as those used to cre- by an additional 1 million people each suggests that the answer to this question ate the IR8 strain, continue to produce ar for the next several decades. How may be a resounding no. varieties that contribure to a productiv- will we be able to feed the estimated About half of the Earth's population ity increase of between 1 and 10 percent 8 billion people on Earth by 2025? depends on rice for basic nourishment. a year. Dozens of quantitative trait loci The past gives us some reasons to be The Green Revolution for rice began in (QTLs) from wild rice appear to contrib optimistic. In the 1950s and 1960s, in 1960, aided by the establishment of the ute to increased yields, and scientists are the face of looming population increases, International Rice Research Institute attempting to introduce these traits into plant scientists around the world set (IRRI). One of their major developments current dwarf varieties of domestic rice. about to increase the production of was the breeding of a rice variety with Genomics and genetic engineering are also crop plants, including the three most improved disease resistance and higher contributing to the new Green Revolution important grains-rice, wheat, and yield. The IRRI research team crossed for rice. In 2002, the rice genome was the maize. These efforts became known as a Chinese rice variety (Dee gr woo-gem) first cereal crop genome to be sequenced concentrated on assign- the Green Revolution. The approach was and an Indonesian variety (Peta) to cre- Research is now three-fold: (1) to increase the use of fer ate a new cultivar known as IRS. IR8 tilizers, pesticides, and irrigation; (2) to produced a greater number of rice ker- genome ized, these genes may be transferred into more land under cultivation; and nels per plant, plants by intensive plant breeding ing nations more than doubled their to trait called between 1961 and 1985. Nations that ?R8 with a dwarf native van when grown in the pres- varieties of crop ence of fertilizers and irrigation. Under crop plants, speeding the creation of rice varieties with desirable traits, such as dis these cultural practices, IRS plants were The results were dramatic. Develop- so top-heavy with grain that they tended ease resistance, tolerance to drought and fall over-a trait called "lodging. To salinity, and improved nutritional content production of rice, wheat, and maize reduce lodging, IRRI breeders crossed were facing widespread famine in the ate semi-dwarf lines. Due in part to theYour Tur ake time, individually or in groups, to answer the following questions. Investigate the refer- ctions suggest that a 40 percent ences and links to help you understand rice harvest may some of the technologies and issues sur adoption of the semi-dwarf IRS lines were able to feed themselves and the world production of rice doubled in became major exporters of grain The Green Revolution saved millions 25 years of people from starvation and improved Predi quality of life for millions more; increase in the annual rice harvest may some of however, its effects may be diminishing, be necessary to keep pace with antici- rounding the new Gr een Revolution lowed since the 1980s, due to slower 30 years. As land and water resources 1. Almost half of the world's rice is tertilizer use. If food production is to fertilizers and pesticides grow, moreents, subject to flooding or drought, The rate of increase in grain yields has pated population growth during the next ation development and become more scarce and the prices of grown in soils that are poor in nutri- farmed by people unable to afford keep pace with the projected increase in world's population, we will have to depend more and more on the genetic emphasis will be placed on creating new rice varieties that have even higher yields that have even higher yields or fertilizers. Can genetic research address these limitations? and greater disease resistance.

Explanation / Answer

The genetic research used to develop a crop resistance against pest, disease, insect etc. to increase the
crop production. IR8 the famous rice variet all over the world are develped by IRRI by using chinese and indonesian variety. it increase the yield by increasing the number of kernels per plant. Semi dwarf variety developed by IRRI by crossing dwarf variety with IR8 it will grow in drought condition also and increase the crop yield.

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