New Rice Strain Being Developed in Japan to Cope with Global Warming

The Saga Prefectural Agricultural Research Center in Japan has been developing a new variety of rice named Saga No. 37 over the last ten years. The new strain is expected to cope better with the effects of global warming than existing ones, so grain quality and yields are maintained even under elevated temperatures. The prefecture of Saga intends to promote the new rice as its next recommended flagship cultivar if growing tests in 2008 turn out to be successful in terms of quality. It also plans seed production of this variety at the same time, with the aim of starting commercial cultivation in 2009.

Higher temperatures than normal during the ripening period from mid-September to mid-October make rice grains whiter and thinner, with many rice plants being sterile. Before 2003 in Saga, the average temperatures during the ripening period hovered around 25 degrees Celsius. After 2004, however, they were over 25 degrees, and in 2007 exceeded 26 degrees. As a result, since 2004, the degradation of rice grain quality and dropping yields have been significant, and for the last couple of years, heat-caused damage has been obvious.

Saga No. 37 was first created at the center by crossbreeding rice strains in 1998 while working on developing a variety with improved shape and taste. Years later, heat-induced damage to rice crops became so serious that the center started to further develop this variety to be less vulnerable to higher temperatures caused by global warming. It has been conducting growing tests of the new rice strain with some success since 2006 in cooperation with agricultural cooperatives.



Posted: 2008/06/08 08:21:16 AM