China Invents Rice That Can Grow in Salt Water, Can Feed Over 200 Million People

Authored by nextshark.com and submitted by strhope

Scientists in China succeeded in growing the yield of a strain of saltwater-tolerant rice nearly three times their expectation.

In the spring months, over 200 types of rice were planted at the Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice Research and Development Center in Qingdao, a coastal city in eastern China’s Shandong Province. Seawater from the Yellow Sea was pumped, diluted and channeled into the rice paddies.

Researchers initially expected an output of around 4.5 tons per hectare, but surprised themselves when four types registered 6.5 to 9.3 tons per hectare.

Tests on saline-alkali tolerant rice have been going on in China for some time, but the unexpected yield marks its readiness for commercialization.

Research leader Yuan Longping, also known as China’s “Father of Hybrid Rice,” told reporters that cultivation of the strain can feed more than 200 million people, the South China Morning Post noted.

Qingdao-based startup Yuan Ce Biological Technology, which partnered with Yuan’s team, is now selling the new rice as “Yuan Mi” in honor of the scientist.

“Yuan Mi,” however, costs 50 yuan ($7.50) per kilogram — about eight times more than the cost of ordinary rice. It is currently sold in 1-kilogram (2.2 pounds), 2-kilogram (4.4 pounds), 5-kilogram (11 pounds) and 10-kilogram (22 pounds) packs.

Despite the hefty price tag, six tons of the strain have been sold since August, thanks to its impressive flavor and texture.

In addition, consumers are reportedly keen on its potential health benefits.

According to Xinhua, the strain could be rich in calcium and other micronutrients, as such are abundant in saline water.

The property of salt as a disinfectant could also repel pathogenic bacteria, making “sea rice” less exposed to pests. As a result, farmers may decrease their use of pesticides.

Yuan Ce Biological Technology expects to make 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) in “sea rice” revenue by the end of the year. Prices are expected to fall as production increases.

Leitos on October 24th, 2017 at 05:14 UTC »

Liu Guangfei, a wasteland treatment expert at Beijing-based Eagle Green Technology Development, said Yuan’s rice could not be planted in inland provinces such as Heilongjiang and Xinjiang, which had more than 90 per cent of the saline and alkaline soils in China.

The chemical composition of inland soil varied significantly from that on the coast, he said. Yuan’s rice was mainly resistant to sodium chloride, but waste land in inland areas had high levels of sodium sulphate, which could be detrimental to the rice.

He also doubted whether planting rice would be of long-term benefit in treating waste land. “Planting this rice will keep the land salty forever,” he said. “It cannot be used to grow other crops.”

Liu said there were other commercial plants that could survive in such soils, such as jujube and wolfberry, that could significantly reduce salt water levels in fields after a few year’s of fresh water irrigation. But the biggest challenge to the seawater rice project was that China now had a surplus of rice.

“China is not in food shortage any more,” he said.

iprefertau on October 24th, 2017 at 05:00 UTC »

does this mean i wont have to add salt later? /s but kinda not

stray1ight on October 24th, 2017 at 04:54 UTC »

Seems like this could potentially be a game changer - it's currently eight times the cost of "normal" rice, though.