Video

Sub1a gene rice on left half, regular rice on right. Each second approximates a day. Recorded 14.06.2007-27.09.2007 at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) research plot in Los Banos, Philippines. Although rice thrives in standing water, like all crops it will die if completely submerged for more than a few days. The development and cultivation of the new varieties are expected to increase food security for 70 million of the world's poorest people, and may reduce yield losses from weeds in areas such as the United States, where rice is seeded in flooded fields. Funding for the research was provided by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ); the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service National Research Initiative; and the U.S. Agency for International Development. The German funding was particularly important as it supported efforts to transfer the submergence characteristic to existing, popular rice varieties, maximizing the impact of the breakthrough.