Kathmandu. For thousands of years, farmers have been sowing rice seeds every season. But now there are signs that this tradition is changing. Chinese scientists are developing perennial rice that, once planted, can last for years.
A team of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences has identified longevity genes in wild rice. They have successfully transplanted this gene into modern rice cultivation. This has created a new variety of rice, which does not die even after harvesting.
Tests conducted in China’s southern island province of Hainan have shown amazing vitality in these rice plants. Even after the paddy is harvested, instead of drying up, new shoots and shoots are sprouting again. “Our rice yields two to three times a year,” said Han Bin, the lead scientist of the study. In the tests so far, only one plant has been able to survive for two years. When the rice is ripe, new shoots emerge from its edges. Its longevity genes help keep it always young.
According to the scientists, this perennial rice will be very useful especially in hilly and steep lands, where it is difficult to move large agricultural machinery. This is expected to save both the cost and the hard work of the farmers. The study was published in the prestigious scientific journal Science at the end of March. It is believed that this success will greatly contribute to the world’s food security in the future. 
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