An international team of scientists is attempting to develop a new rice strain that will use less water and fertilizer but could boost yields by up to 50 percent to meet growing demand, a research institute said yesterday.

The ambitious laboratory project involving molecular biologists, geneticists, physiologists and biochemists from research organizations across the globe could take a decade or more to complete, said the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

About half of the world's population consumes rice as a staple and increasing its productivity is crucial to achieving long-term food security, the institute said. Nearly a billion people worldwide live in hunger.