The Rural Development Administration says it has developed a breed of rice that can survive severe droughts.

The administration said Thursday that it made the rice plant resistant to even the driest soil. The stomata of the leaves of the rice plant are closed when the plant is under stress, thereby preserving moisture inside the plant.

Ordinary rice plants wither and die when deprived of water for five days. As for the new variety, the rice plants did not wilt after five days without water and demonstrated normal growth when water supply resumed.

The administration said it is currently working on a patent for the drought-resistant gene and is testing it for harmful effects on the human body and the environment.