ocr: A species of no significance today In 1974. the world quietly escaped disaster. An epidemic struck Southeast Asin. devastating the rice paddies and killing the harvest in just a few days. 9 million people were deprived of their daily food. Was there a remedy ? Among 100 kinds of wild rice, one species did show resistance to the discase. One single species. Only 30 specimens of this unique variety were found, but in the end, 3 seedlings - 3 young plants of this wild-growing species provided the resistant genes that saved Southeast Asian rice.
