Rice gene discovery could cut fertilizer use while protecting yields

Researchers from the University of Oxford, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (Chinese Academy of Sciences) have finally identified the master regulator in plants that balances root and shoot growth when nutrients are limited. In field trials, rice plants with an improved version of the gene had yield increases of up to 24%. The breakthrough, published today (26 February) in the journal Science, could ultimately improve global crop yields while reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers.