Genetically engineering rice to have better salt tolerance could allow it to be grown in places it would otherwise fail, new research from the University of Sheffield has found.

Findings from the University of Sheffield's Institute for Sustainable Food have revealed that genetically modifying rice to reduce the number of stomata is has -- tiny openings used for water loss -- makes it more salt-resistant.

Stomata are openings that most plants have which regulate carbon dioxide uptake for photosynthesis, along with the release of water vapour. Several years ago, Sheffield scientists revealed that reducing the number and size of stomata rice plants have allows them to use up to 60 per cent less water, making them hugely beneficial in places prone to drought.

Those findings, along with these new results, published in the New Phytologist, mean that rice can be adapted to survive in environments that are becoming harsher due to climate change, which will help in tackling food insecurity around the globe.