KeyGene's impact
Hybrid rice for farmers in India
Experts from KeyGene and Bioseed, part of DCM Shriram in India, together developed rice lines that can be used by Biodseed to breed hybrid rice varieties that meet the demands of rice farmers in India. The lines developed by the team combine a much higher yield with a very good cooking quality. The team first worked on revealing and understanding the genetics behind yield- and quality in Indica x Japonica-derived rice lines, followed by inducing desired genetic variation that was unavailable earlier.
Enough and good food
In India, the population grows and so does the need for food. This urges for the development of high yielding food crops. In India, rice is a major staple food. Hybrid rice can have higher yields, but the difference with non-hybrid rice is not large enough to persuade rice farmers to grow hybrid rice. That is caused by the fact that high-yielding hybrid rice varieties on the market have poor cooking quality. That has a negative impact on the financial results of the farmers.
The research allowed for breaking the linkage between high yield and low cooking quality for the first time.
Using DNA technology innovation, target genes were identified. Using KeyPoint®, KeyGene’s technology for the intelligent random induction of new genetic variation, desired new variants were induced, which were then identified and tested.
Shriram Bioseed stacked the desired new genetic variants in modern elite lines of Indica x Japonica rice. The development of market-ready varieties is on its way.
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