A research team in Shanghai has identified and cloned a "longevity gene," EBT1, in wild rice, a breakthrough that could transform rice cultivation from an annual to a perennial crop. This discovery, detailed in the journal Science, stems from eight years of research and offers the potential for rice to be planted only once, regrowing annually for multiple harvests without repeated planting or tilling. This would significantly reduce labor, enhance food security, and contribute to carbon sequestration by minimizing soil disturbance. Scientists found that a mutation in EBT1 was crucial in the domestication process that led to annual rice, and that perennial wild rice can reverse its developmental cycle, reverting from the reproductive stage to vegetative growth. Field trials in Hainan province have shown promising results, with a bred perennial rice variety surviving for over two years and producing significantly more tillers than its wild parent.