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Ilix t1_j3tor09 wrote

It also means the crop will be more susceptible to diseases, like bananas and fungus.

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Tweenk t1_j3tuk30 wrote

This would only be the case if a single clone were to dominate rice production, but this is extremely unlikely for a seed crop. This paper is not really about making rice a purely clonal crop like bananas, it's about dramatically reducing the cost of obtaining high quality hybrid seed in large quantities.

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Ilix t1_j3ucz2n wrote

The title of the post is explicitly calling that exact thing out as the benefit.

Not only that, but there isn’t only one banana option in existence, there’s just one that all the commercial growers use.

Unless there’s something specifically about rice that would prevent everyone from ending up using the same cloned strain, there’s no reason to believe this would turn out any different.

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mem_somerville t1_j3tuark wrote

No it doesn't. This method could be used on new varieties all the time, as we have to do now anyway to stay ahead of pathogens.

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Ilix t1_j3uc5nb wrote

It is if you’re keeping them from season to season without breeding new hybrids, as specifically stated in the title of the thread.

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mem_somerville t1_j3ufscy wrote

That will work for a while. But nobody said in the title or anywhere else that it's the end of the line.

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