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Gene to Determine Yield of Paddy Identified
A research team made up of researchers of Nagoya University and RIKEN discovered a gene that determines the number of karnel on rice plant. They have also successfully introduced a gene of Indica rice into Japonica variety,
"Koshihikari" through repeated cross-breeding resulting in 20% increase in the number of grains on plant.
The team decoded genes using "Koshihikari" variety and an Indica variety
"Habataki [wingbeating]" which is short in height and bears twice as many paddies on plant compared to the former. The team discovered, for the first time in the world, that a gene that has strongest influence in determining the number of karnel on plant is one which had to do with decompository reaction of a plant hormon, cytokinin.
The gene is named OsCKX2, and the team introduced this gene found in
"Habataki" into "Koshihikari." As a plant of "Koshihikari" would fall with a larger number of paddies, the team introduced into it a gene that would keep the plant height short and the height turned out some 18% lower.
Such a methodology is deemed feasible to be applied to maize and wheat which have similar genes as rice. It is hoped that this technology could help alleviate the world hunger.
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