大米是全世界近一半人口的主食,但由于其植株根系较浅,种植过程需要大量水,所以干旱天气是个严重威胁。《自然遗传学》最新发表的文章显示,日本研究人员通过杂交技术开发出一种耐旱水稻,这种水稻的根部能够深深扎入土壤中吸收水分和营养,在干旱环境中也能生长结实。研究人员发现,拥有一种名为“DRO1”基因的水稻比没有该基因的水稻扎根 Rice is the staple food of nearly half of the world’s population, but dry weather is a serious threat due to its shallow plant roots and the large amount of water required for planting. Recent articles published in Nature Genetics show that Japanese researchers developed a drought-tolerant rice plant by hybridization technology. The root of this rice can penetrate deeply into the soil to absorb moisture and nutrients and grow strong in arid environments . The researchers found that having a rice called “DRO1” was more effective than rice without the gene