Image via Wikipedia Its quite remarkable. Scientists have developed a rice seed that can survive floods (under water) for more than 2 weeks. It is not uncommon to see many of us loosing the entire crop due to floods almost every year (particularly so in Andhra Pradesh, India). Hope, this will change our fortunes. I have seen proof that agricultural science can make people’s lives better. This summer, I attended a roundtable discussion in New Delhi with scientists who developed a new variety of rice called Swarna-sub1. The amazing thing about Swarna-sub1 is that it can survive underwater for more than two weeks, which means it could revolutionize life for millions of farmers in flood-prone areas of India. The researchers used a fascinating technique called marker assisted selection to introduce a single allele, a version of a gene, into an existing rice variety to make it flood tolerant. I also met with representatives from local NGOs, seed companies, and the ...
