Partnership to Develop Zinc-Enriched Rice

Researchers from Cranfield University, Imperial College London and University of Southampton in the United Kingdom; the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines; the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute; and Japan International Research Centre for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) will tackle the issue of zinc deficiency, in both soil and humans, by breeding rice varieties that are more efficient in taking up zinc and concentrating it in the rice grains.

The researchers will work together in existing field trials and new laboratory experiments to understand the mechanisms of zinc uptake by rice plants at different stages of their growth cycle, and differences between rice types. They will use this genetic information to try to develop rice with higher zinc content despite being grown in zinc deficient soils.

For further details, contact Prof. Guy Kirk at g.kirk@cranfield.ac.uk.