Rice is the world’s most commonly used cereal food, feeding half of humanity. However, rice production will have to double within 20 years from now to meet the needs of a growing population. Two species are used for cultivation, one Asian and the other African. The Asian species gives much stronger agronomic performances, but the African one is more rustic, more resistant to pathogens, more tolerant to drought and soil salinity. With the aim of transferring these properties to Asian rice, scientists are seeking to overcome the sterility between the two species.

Source: Increasing rice production using genes from the African species