Scientists at IRRI and partners found a gene variant that increases rice yields by 27% during drought. This breakthrough helps develop climate-resilient rice for farmers facing water scarcity.

KJ Staff 

Scientists at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and their Indian partners have made a major breakthrough in developing drought-tolerant rice varieties that can sustain higher yields during water scarcity. The research, published in the Journal of Experimental Botany, highlights a gene variant called OsIRO2 that showed significant potential when introduced into the popular rice variety DRR Dhan 44.

Water stress during the reproductive stage of rice growth often leads to severe yield losses, but this newly discovered gene variant helps the crop maintain productivity even under drought conditions. Field trials across multiple locations and seasons tested 450 rice lines, revealing that rice carrying this OsIRO2 variant produced up to 27% more grain compared to the original variety, without compromising yield stability.

“Farmers can look forward to better harvests and improved resilience as climate change continues to challenge agriculture,” said Dr. Pallavi Sinha, scientist at IRRI. The study also identified 67 genetic markers linked to drought tolerance and prioritised ten key genes for future rice breeding.

Dr. Vikas Singh, IRRI’s Regional Breeding Lead for South Asia, added, “By pinpointing the exact parts of the genome responsible for drought survival, breeders now have clear targets to develop rice varieties that protect farmers’ livelihoods.”

Supported by India’s Department of Biotechnology and Indian Council of Agricultural Research, this research opens new pathways for marker-assisted and haplotype-based rice breeding. 

IRRI plans to fast-track integrating these drought-tolerant genes into breeding programs across Asia and Africa, aiming to deliver climate-resilient, high-yield rice to farmers in drought-prone regions.

Published Date: August 12, 2025