Rice gene lifts drought yields by up to 42%, offering hope for climate resilient farming
Scientists found that a single rice gene can protect plants from drought while helping them maintain healthy growth, leading to much higher yields in field trials.
GLOBAL – Researchers have identified a rice gene that helps plants withstand drought while maintaining healthy growth, a finding that could support future efforts to improve food production under changing climate conditions.
The study, led by Professor Geupil Jang at Chonnam National University, identified a gene called OsFeSOD3 that performs two important jobs inside rice plants. The findings first appeared online on December 17, 2025, before publication in Volume 24, Issue 4 (2026) of the Plant Biotechnology Journal.
As climate change brings more droughts and other environmental stresses, farmers continue to face lower crop yields. Drought affects chloroplasts, the parts of plant cells responsible for photosynthesis, making it harder for crops to grow and produce grain.
The researchers found that OsFeSOD3 produces an enzyme that removes harmful reactive oxygen species, or ROS, which build up inside plants during drought. Their work showed that drought first triggers ROS inside chloroplasts before it spreads through the rest of the plant. Higher levels of OsFeSOD3 reduced this damage and improved drought tolerance.
“Chloroplast development is highly sensitive to environmental stresses such as drought, and this sensitivity is closely associated with growth inhibition and yield reduction under stress conditions,” said Professor Geupil Jang.
The team also found that OsFeSOD3 supports chloroplast development by acting as part of the plastid encoded RNA polymerase complex, which controls the activity of genes needed for healthy chloroplast growth. This means the gene helps protect plants from drought while also supporting photosynthesis.
Field trials carried out over two growing seasons showed that rice plants with higher OsFeSOD3 expression produced 33 to 42 percent more grain under drought conditions than standard rice plants.
The increase came mainly from better grain filling and a higher number of grains. In comparison, rice plants without the gene developed severe chloroplast damage, produced white leaves and stopped growing.
“Our findings suggest that OsFeSOD3 serves as a bifunctional regulator that coordinates chloroplastic ROS metabolism and chloroplast biogenesis in rice,” Prof. Jang concluded.
The researchers believe the discovery could help plant breeders develop rice varieties that maintain strong yields during drought without reducing plant performance.
As droughts, heat waves and other climate related stresses become more common, they say a better understanding of genes such as OsFeSOD3 could support the development of crops that strengthen food security in vulnerable regions around the world.
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