clhs sciblog

A researcher at Purdue University has put an effort to improve rice varieties by researching the rice gene that decides how many shoots of rice will be on a rice plant he is working to create a domesticated rice species that produces more rice while taking up the same amount of space and water. Long ago humans began making their own genetic modifications in rice without even knowing it by choosing and growing plants that had favorable characteristics. As they stopped growing rice plants with unfavorable characteristics, those genes soon began to disappear. One variety of rice has genes making it drought-resistant. ‘Scientists could breed those genes into domesticated rice in Africa where water shortages can devastate crops.’

This is important research because it if rice plants are created that produce more food but take up no more space it would help put an end to world hungry. Most people don’t think about how lucky they are when they’re shoving food into their mouths and especially don’t think about how thankful someone would be to have the food that they throw away. Their are approximately 112,000 tons of food wasted in America every day. It is estimated that their are 891,111,429 undernourished people in the world right now and the number is constantly growing.

To read more click here.

To see more world hunger statistics click here.