HAIKOU /China/, May 16. /TASS/. Construction of the world's largest wild rice genetic resource repository has been completed in Sanya, Hainan province. This was reported by China Daily.
This repository, experts say, will play a major role in the global exchange of rice genplasm samples, which will make it possible to develop stronger varieties for agriculture with higher yields. The facility in question is spread over an area of 11 hectares. The repository has collected about 13,000 genplasm samples from 21 wild rice varieties from around the world. Among them are three species that were found in China.
According to Yang Qingwen, a researcher at the Institute of Crop Science of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the gene resources of wild rice strains are key to breeding new strains and conducting various biotechnology research. As the expert pointed out, Sanya has excellent light and temperature conditions for the growth of wild rice from around the world. The implementation of this project is also facilitated by the favorable free trade port policy in Hainan, the paper wrote.
Rice is a staple food for more than half of the world's population. We are talking mostly about people in Asia, in particular in China, India, Indonesia and other countries in the region. Wild rice varieties are usually longer and have a thinner shape, and their grains are darker in color than agricultural varieties. Wild varieties are used to breed new varieties with greater resistance to disease, extreme weather conditions, and higher yields.