Scientists have created a rain-resistant wheat variety using genome-editing technology, a breakthrough that could lead to the development of higher-quality flour.
The research team from the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) and Okayama University said genome editing enabled them to develop the variety in just about a year.
It takes nearly 10 years to develop such a wheat species using conventional breeding …. The wheat used for the study is not a species currently sold on the market, but the team believes the method utilized could someday succeed in developing an edible variety resistant to rain.
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Since wheat is native to arid zones, it is vulnerable to humidity. When it rains for a long period before harvest, the plants’ seeds often sprout on their ears, resulting in low-quality flour.
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