Drought-fighting plant gene isolated

SAN DIEGO, April 30 (UPI) -- University of California researchers said Thursday they have made a key finding that could some day produce a new generation of crops that grow with less water.

The researchers isolated a gene that helps plants grow in drought conditions, San Diego Union-Tribune reported. The team's research was published this week in the online journal Science Express.

"If you can use water more efficiently, agriculture will love it. People will love it," said UC San Diego biologist Julian Schroeder.

The study was led by Sean Cutler, a UC Riverside assistant professor of plant biology.

"Water is one of the 21st century's major challenges," Cutler said.

The newspaper said researchers used the small flowering plant Arabidopsis for their research.

"It's like the lab rat of the lab world," Cutler was quoted by the newspaper as saying.