Scientists and rice breeders have known for years that Kasalath rice is unusually efficient at nutrient absorption, but only now have they succeeded in identifying the gene responsible for this important trait.

Researchers at the International Rice Research Institute in Manila described how they identified the gene after analyzing part of the Kasalath DNA where it was thought to be located and comparing it with other rice varieties without the trait.

Using conventional breeding methods, they introduced the gene into a few rice types in Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan and found that it raised yields by up to 20%.

The gene, PSTOL1, allows rice crops to thrive in soil that has low levels of phosphorus, a nutrient that promotes root growth, winter hardiness and hastens maturity. Plants deficient in phosphorus are often stunted.