A new study, seen in  Nature Genetics and led by researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST; Saudi Arabia) and Wageningen University & Research (the Netherlands), provides new insights on rice evolution, showing how the DNA of this valuable crop has changed across species. The findings are expected to not only help with improving rice yields but also with the introduction of rice into regions where rice production is currently untenable.  

Rice is one of the first domesticated crops (approximately 10,000 years ago). The artificial selection farmers have made for nutrition and other traits that maximize profit have reduced its genetic diversity and thus its resilience to environmental stresses.  

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