Rice serves as the staple food for more than half of the world's population, but it's also the one of the largest humanmade sources of atmospheric methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Now, with the addition of a single gene, rice can be cultivated to emit virtually no methane from its paddies during growth. It also packs much more of the plant's desired properties, such as starch for a richer food source and biomass for energy production, according to a study in Nature.
With their warm, waterlogged soils, rice paddies contribute up to 17 percent of global methane emissions, the equivalent of about 100 million tons each year. While this represents a much smaller percentage of overall greenhouse gases than carbon dioxide, methane is about 20 times more effective at trapping heat. SUSIBA2 rice, as the new strain is dubbed, is the first high-starch, low-methane rice that could offer a significant and sustainable solution.
Researchers created SUSIBA2 rice by introducing a single gene from barley into common rice, resulting in a plant that can better feed its grains, stems and leaves while starving off methane-producing microbes in the soil.
"Researchers created SUSIBA2 rice by introducing a single gene from barley into common rice." So, does it ferment to sake, or beer?
(Score: 2) by PinkyGigglebrain on Thursday July 30 2015, @08:02PM
I heard a funny thing about Golden Rice.
It seems that the the vitamin A deficiency it is supposed to address is being caused by farmers being pressured (economic and regulatory) into only growing rice. If they were allowed to grow the diverse crops they used to grow people would get all the nutrients they needed from the more balanced diet.
Please let me know if you've heard otherwise.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 4, Informative) by takyon on Thursday July 30 2015, @08:46PM
http://www.goldenrice.org/Content3-Why/why1_vad.php [goldenrice.org] (obviously pro-golden rice)
These countries have had rice-heavy diets for some time.
http://www-plb.ucdavis.edu/labs/rost/Rice/introduction/intro.html [ucdavis.edu]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by PinkyGigglebrain on Friday July 31 2015, @10:19AM
None of the links refute or confirm what i had heard about the root cause of the deficiency's that GR was made to address,
thanks for the links though. I learned a few things about rice i didn't know :)
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."