Rice: more breakthroughs to increase yields positive
There seems to be a breakthrough in the quest to have increased rice yield, a major staple worldwide. In every grocery shop, supermarkets and in many open market places, rice is not just the most common grain but in fact, the most patronized.
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As a cereal grain, it is the most widely consumed staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in Asia. In Africa, rice is also heavily loved and consumed but for its availability in large quantities. It is the agricultural commodity with the third-highest worldwide production, after sugarcane and maize, according to 2012 FAOSTAT data.
Since a large portion of maize crops are grown for purposes other than human consumption, rice is the most important grain with regard to human nutrition and caloric intake, providing more than one-fifth of the calories consumed worldwide by humans
Rice by size
Rice is an ancient grain that has been cultivated for centuries. Rice is commercially classified by size: long, medium or short grain. Long-grain rice is 4-5 times its width and is available in white and brown varieties, which are light, dry grains that separate easily when cooked. Basmati rice is a perfumy East Indian variety of long-grain rice.
According to Food.com, short-grain rice has fat, almost round grains that have a higher starch content. When cooked, it tends to be quite moist and viscous, causing the grains to stick together. Also called pearl rice or glutinous rice (although it's gluten-free). Other varieties of short-grain rice are Arborio and Mochi. Medium-grain rice has a size and character in between the other two.
Rice can be further divided into two other broad categoriess: brown and white. Brown rice is the entire grain with only the inedible outer husk removed. The nutritious, high-fiber bran coating gives it a light tan color, nutlike flavor and chewy texture. Brown rice takes slightly longer to cook. White rice has had the husk, bran and germ removed. Regular white rice is sometimes referred to as polished rice.
For converted or parboiled white rice, the unhulled grain has been soaked, pressure-steamed and dried. Converted rice has a pale beige cast and takes slightly longer to cook than regular white rice. Instant or quick white rice has been fully or partially cooked before being dehydrated and packaged.
Case for rice
Some people have argued that, without rice, the world will come to a standstill because the staple grows fast and can converted into many recipes and can also be eaten with many other plants or vegetables.
In Africa for instance, the production of rice is not in large quantities because many parts of Africa is dry and therefore not conducive for the production of rice which grows better and nice in mushy areas. As a result, rice is imported in large quantities from other parts of the world such as the United States of America (USA), Japan, China, and Thailand among many other countries.
In Ghana for instance, it is reported that rice imports amounts to more than US550 million per annum. This is because the people mostly prefer the imported perfumed rice than the locally grown rice. This pressure and more from the growing population on the continent means that, imports will have to increase to be able to meet demand.
In those countries where this precious grain is grown, the lands used for cultivation are either static or dwindling as a result of human settlements. This means that there is the need for some radical measures to be undertaken to ensure that yields increase to be able to meet the even growing demand for the staple.
The are a number projects in Ghana for instance to ensure that rice is grown in areas where the soil is not as rich as its natural place where the areas planted are expected to be mushy to enable the rice grow to yield much. There is variety called upland rice. This is grown in the sahalian area. This rice variety does not depend much on water to grow. There is also a confined field trials of GM rice, all in the quest to increase yield which will eventually make the grain more available to reduce the country’s import bill as far as rice is concerned.
The breakthrough
According to an article posted on the website of B4FA, there is news from Britain that a strain of genetically modified rice that promises 50 per cent greater yield and uses significantly less fertiliser has been developed by British scientists.
It is hoped that their research will lead to a wave of more efficient staple crops to cope with rising food demand.
Researchers have shown in field trials in China that a particular protein found naturally in rice helps it to access more of the nitrogen in soil or fertiliser.
When the [expression] of the gene that makes this protein is artificially increased the rice can make better use of the nutrients available. The British scientists have licensed the technology to companies looking to insert the same gene into cereal crops in the hope that it could increase global food production in other staple foods as well as rice.
Plants tap into two main sources of nitrogen. One is ammonium in the soil, the other nitrates. The genetically modified strains of rice could make better use of both forms. This means that with the same amount of fertiliser, the yield can be dramatically improved and so help to reduce the environmental impact associated with nitrogen-based fertilisers.
It is obvious that some may not like the idea that rice is being genetically modified but to feed the world some breakthroughs in biosciences is needed to achieve as far as the food produced is wholesome.