Hardy Rice: Less Water, More Food

Scientists have produced a new type of rice that grows better and uses water more efficiently than other rice crops. Rice is a water guzzler when compared to other crops. It typically uses up to three times more water than other food crops such as maize or wheat and consumes around 30 percent of the fresh water used for crops worldwide. In conditions where water is scarce, it is important to have crops that can efficiently generate biomass (plant tissue) using limited amounts of water.