Avesthagen Gets U.S. Patent for Drought Tolerant Rice

Indian life science company Avesthagen received a patent registered in the U.S. for its technology to develop rice varieties with resistance to environmental stresses such as drought, salinity and temperature extremes. The researchers of Avesthagen targets the manganese super-oxidase dismutase (MnSOD) gene, which is linked to the site of photosynthesis in plants.

The use of biotech techniques is one of the ways to boost productivity while there is insufficient water supply, land area for cultivation of crops, and climate change. Through these techniques, rice and other crops could grow enough yields even under different environmental stress.

According to Villoo Morawala Patell, founder and managing director of Avesthagen, "biotech traits/techniques normally take seven to eight years to be incorporated into commercial varieties and offer an effective method to mitigate specific problems."

Read the news article at http://www.samachar.com/Avesthagen-gets-US-patent-for-drought-tolerant-rice-ljxxNkifghj.html. For more information about the Avesthagen technology, visit http://www.avesthagen.com/gen.htm.