Flood tolerant rice and pomegranate

1. Scientists have identified a gene, called Sub1a, that confers a tolerance to submergence and precisely transferred that genetic information into popular rice varieties in South and Southeast Asia. The new rice varieties passed field tests last month in Bangladesh and India. They will be made available within two years to smallholder farmers in flood-prone areas where seasonal rains have destroyed crops, according to University of California-Davis news releases.

2. Farmers in Punjab are moving to grow fruits like pomegranate instead of crops like wheat and cotton.