Chinese researchers have identified a gene in rice that could enhance both quality and productivity of rice at the same time, Xinhua reported.

While studying Basmati rice from Pakistan, Fu Xiangdong at Chinese Academy of Sciences and his colleagues found a gene named GW8 that could influence the quality of rice.

Further study showed that the GW8 gene also exists in some types of high yield rice grown in China. However, it's a different variant of that gene, which primarily affects grain weight.

"Then we found another variant of GW8, which could enhance the quality and productivity of rice at the same time," Fu said.

(China.org.cn June 26, 2012)

據新華社報道，中國科學家找到了一種可以使水稻優質又高產的基因。

通過對產自巴基斯坦的巴斯瑪蒂香米進行研究，中國科學院傅曉東及同事發現了影響水稻質量的GW8基因。

進一步研究發現，中國的一些高產水稻上存在該基因的變體，主要影響的是稻米的重量。

傅曉東說：“后來，我們又發現了GW8的另一種變體，這種變體可以使水稻質優的同時又高產。”