“Genetically Modified Rice Could Be Key to Tackling Food Shortages Caused by Climate Change.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 16 Jan. 2023, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230116112626.htm.

 

The article explains how new developments are being made in England that can help decrease the amount of water needed to grow rice, helping to increase crop yield for our planet as a result. Essentially, scientists in Sheffield have discovered a way to decrease the number of stomata in a race crop. The stomata are like little mouths on the leaves of crops, which allow transpiration to happen through them. They are the gateway of water to the inside of the plant. reducing the number of stomata makes the crops more resistant to salt water, which has become a much more prevalent issue, due to the sea levels rising. With above average sea levels, crops that normally are not introduced to salt water, are being exposed to it, meaning that Rice is growing at a less than ideal rate. Rice with this reduced stomata level uses almost 60% less water than non-modified plants. This would not only reduce the amount of freshwater needed to grow rice, but would also help protect them against saltwater. 30% of earth’s freshwater is used to grow rice, since almost 3.5 million people rely on it for food daily, and so the efficiency level of growing it is really important to our entire population.

 

The article is related to APES because it shows one way that we are having to develop new technology to combat climate change. The reason we need these modifications to rice crops is because the sea levels are rising, meaning that more crops are exposed to seawater. It’s a way we are adapting to our environment, and away. We are also using science to help sustain our population. I think it’s really interesting to look at the mass reliance our world has on one crop, especially since that one crop is pretty and efficient when it comes to fresh water usage. But, the fact that we are able to develop this genetic modification to help increase the efficiency of rice growing, really shows how far we’ve come scientifically.