PARIS, France – Scientists on Wednesday (August 22nd) announced the development of a strain of rice that grows well in soils lacking the nutrient phosphorus, which could boost crop yields by as much as a fifth.

AFP reported the announcement ends a quest to pinpoint a mystery gene that helps the roots of baby rice plants draw phosphorus from the soil, enabling strong, early growth.

The gene has now been transferred to modern varieties of rice using classic methods of cross-breeding, not genetic engineering, said Sigrid Heuer at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines.

Next week, rice breeders from Bangladesh, India, Thailand and India will be briefed on the find, which should benefit small farmers most of all, Heuer said in a phone interview from Manila.

"I would expect to see (an improvement in yield of) around 20%, but it depends so much on the type of the soil and how severe the stress is," she told AFP.

The breakthrough seeks to address one of the biggest problems facing rice growers from the southeastern United States to South America, Southeast Asia and China.