Director of the Institute of Biotechnology. Krishnamurti said the new rice variety grown at Ilorin Federal State University in Nigeria, which does not require high moisture soil, can solve the current problems of rice cultivation in the country.

Rice is usually a moisture-loving crop, but a variety developed by the university will produce a hectare crop without a lot of water, making it resistant to drought and potentially adaptable to arid areas with scarce rainfall.

Professor R. Krishnamurti, who visited the Department of Plant Biology at Ilorin University, said the new rice variety requires minimal watering, adding that the maximum time from planting to harvesting is 120 days.

The scientist also said that medium-sized high-yielding grain, which can be cultivated on most types of soil available in the country, has great marketing value.

Seeds of the new variety will be sold to both students and farmers in order to encourage growing and providing jobs to an increasing population.

Professor R. Krishnamurti also said that the University of Nigeria is working on other improved grades of grain that are suitable for the existing types of soil in the country.