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The goal of all this work is to improve crop
production, building on the strengths of ancient Finding Fertile Ground
genes to survive in stressful environments. The Rod Wing || Bud Antle Endowed Chair
UA team is trying to pinpoint the regulatory
mechanisms by which genes control features like
the ability to cope with regional challenges such or Rod Wing, joining the UA in 2002 meant giving up an endowed
as soil composition, lack of water for irrigation Fchair at Clemson University.
and climate problems linked to global warming. “That was a real risk. At Clemson I was a big fish in a small pond, but
Hardy, efficient crops also offer environmental I wanted to come here to surround myself with people who were better
benefits, as they require fewer chemical than me so I could get better myself,” says Wing.
fertilizers to grow well. Working with UA faculty, especially founding director of BIO5 Vicki
“By sequencing their genomes and then Chandler, proved as rewarding as Wing hoped. In 2005, soon after leading
mapping a gene back to the rice reference the effort to produce the first complete genomic sequence of rice, he was
genome, you can learn why it looks like this in named the Bud Antle Endowed Chair within the UA’s School of Plant Sciences.
this country, or like that in that region,” Wing The Antle endowment helps Wing secure competitive grants by funding
says. “We can say, ‘This is what we want for the the collection of preliminary data and the purchase of genome sequencing
ideal rice.’ But you might have the best quality equipment. Wing estimates that since he’s been at the UA he’s been primary
rice in the world and in Africa it won’t do well.
So you take that killer rice and you cross in the investigator or co-primary investigator on $80 million worth of grant-funded
genes that are adapted to Africa, and you have projects.
this great tasting rice, high yielding, but it can “The Antle family’s investment has absolutely allowed me to be more
also survive in Africa.” successful than I could without it,” he says. “It provides flexibility and helps
Wing, who was named a fellow of the fill the gaps in grant funding. I’m grateful for their trust in me.”
American Association for the Advancement of
Science in 2010, distinguishes his work from
GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, in “What we are interested in,” Wing says, “is ‘What we are
which DNA has been altered with DNA of another how to feed the world — without destroying our
organism. “You say ‘GMO’ and many people are world. Rice will play a big role, with a billion interested in,’ Wing
freaked out,” he says. “They do have a role to play, people depending on rice in Asia, Southeast Asia
a limited role. But we just are trying to study and Africa. In Bangladesh, where growth is out of says, ‘is how to
natural variation and make better use of it. That’s control.”
quite different.” Wing quotes Norman Borlaug, who won a feed the world —
Some of the other samples that the team Nobel Prize for developing high-yield cereal
studies are common cultivated varieties, some grains: “Food is the moral right of all who are without destroying
are wild. The wild rice holds some of the most born into this world.” And yet, Wing observes,
intriguing secrets. “These wild relatives contain half the world goes hungry. our world.’
a virtually untapped reservoir of traits that can Back in the campus greenhouse, Dave Kudrna,
be used for crop improvement,” Wing says. The one of the UA’s senior rice experts, bends to
Arizona Genomics Institute, in collaboration with examine one proud, tall shoot.
other teams, has led the generation of 11 high- “Look at this guy,” Kudrna says. “It’s more
quality draft genomes for 10 wild rice relatives, as upright. Look at the structure of that plant.”
well as an independently domesticated rice from Thinking about the need to feed the world’s
Africa called Oryza glaberrima. increasing population, he adds, “You think, ‘One
The world’s population, currently about 7 of these lines could feed millions of people. One
billion, is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050. of these could be the answer we’re looking for.’
More rice — which is the core of the diet for half You are looking at the future.”
the world — will be needed. That’s the heart of
what Wing calls “the 10 billion people question.”
As he traces his 20 years of work on high-yield
rice, he turns philosophical.

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