Chinese scientists have identified a rare gene variant that could help rice mature earlier, while maintaining or increasing yields.
The discovery was made by a research team led by Zhang Jian at the China National Rice Research Institute, reported by TV BRICS, a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) partner.
The researchers identified and cloned a rare variant of the TGW1a gene known as TGW1aJZ, which can shorten rice’s growth cycle while increasing grain yield.
According to the study, the gene encodes a florigen-like protein that promotes flowering while also responding to nitrogen signals and improving the uptake and utilisation of nitrogen by rice plants.
The finding could be particularly useful in southern China, where farmers use multiple-cropping systems.
In some areas, two rice crops can be grown in a single year, leaving a limited period between harvesting one crop and planting the next.
Shortening the growth cycle by several days could help optimise the use of agricultural land and allow farmers to fit additional crops into the growing season.
The researchers have developed a series of improved rice varieties using the identified gene.
They mature three to eight days earlier and produce 4-11 per cent higher yields.
The genetic resource could be applied to different rice types, including conventional early-season varieties and later-planted hybrids.
Meanwhile, China harvested 56.58 billion jin (28.29 million tonnes) of early rice in 2026, according to the source.
Production remained above 28 million tonnes for the sixth consecutive year.
The area planted with early rice reached 71.164 million mu (about 4.74 million hectares), an increase of 22,000 mu (around 1466 hectares) compared with 2025.
The development of high-yield, early-maturing varieties is expected to support the efficiency of China’s rice production, particularly in regions with multiple-cropping systems.
The research also provides a genetic resource for further advances in rice breeding and agricultural productivity. (TV BRICS/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Mark Longyen