Silver accumulation is largely in the bran of the rice grain, and once polished, the silver in the grain is reduced significantly. Researchers at IIT Madras stumbled upon the rice variety while screening for different metal ions in the 505 rice varieties. The researchers tested Garib-sal’s ability to accumulate silver even when grown in soils with very low silver concentration. Even when the soil contains only about 0.01 mg of silver per kg, the rice plant was able to concentrate 0.20 mg of silver per kg in the grains. “The rice variety has the ability to accumulate silver about 100 times more than any other rice,” says Prof. T. Pradeep.

Source: The Hindu August 05, 2017 18:53 UTC