Scientists from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has identified a gene that will allow rice plant to increase its uptake of phosphorus boosting rice production.

The Philippine-based IRRI reported Thursday that its team of scientists has identified the gene Phosphorus Starvation Tolerance (PSTOL1) helps rice grow a larger root system allowing it to absorb more phosphorus from the soil.

The scientists learned that PSTOL1 gene can lead to 20 percent increase in yields even if the rice is grown in phosphorus deficient soil.

This discovery, IRRI said, will help poor farmers who can barely afford to buy expensive phosphorus fertilizer. It will also boost production in upland and non-irrigated areas where soils have low phosphorus content.

"For many years we have searched for genes that improve phosphorus uptake. We have now hit the jackpot and found PSTOL1, the major gene responsible for improved phosphorus uptake and understand how it works," said Sigrid Heuer, IRRI's senior scientist who led the research on PSTOL1.

The PSTOL1 gene is now being tested in rice varieties for the more productive irrigated rice-growing areas and initial results show that the plants grow a better root system and have higher production too.

The results of the research were published early this month in Nature, a prestigious London-based science journal Nature.

The research on PSTOL1 started after Matthias Wissuwa from the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences discovered that Kasalath, a traditional Indian rice variety, grows well even if it was planted in phosporus-deficient soil.

Wissuwa then started collaborating with IRRI and shared the DNA information of Kasalath.