Researchers Use CRISPR to Develop Rice Plants with High Salt Resistance

Scientists from Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences and partners discovered an effective method to make rice highly resistant to salt by turning off a specific gene switch known as OsNAC113. Their findings are published in Plants.

The role of the gene OsNAC113 is to help regulate the response of rice to stress, such as drought and high salinity. Using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing tool, the researchers developed a mutant rice plant with an inactive OsNAC113 gene. When planted in very salty conditions, this mutant rice survived and grew healthier than regular rice, showing increased water content and better overall cellular health.

The observed salt tolerance trait is attributed to the knockout, altering the rice plant's molecular processes, specifically redirecting key signaling and metabolic pathways that handle stress. The findings of the research provide both a strong theoretical foundation and a practical genetic target for future molecular breeding efforts, making it possible to develop new rice varieties that can thrive in increasingly salinized agricultural lands around the world.

Read more findings in Plants.