Same Rice, Less Water Waste

One of the most consumed foods in the world, rice, is being more sustainably cultivated in Chile after the nation found a way to produce yield with 50 percent less water use.

This strain of rice – the Oryza sativa plant – is the result of a group of researchers who carried out genetic modifications to make it more resilient to climate change.

Researchers with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture and the Chilean National Institute for Agricultural Research achieved a variety of rice that requires only half the amount of water typically needed to yield. Overall, water use decreased from 23,000 to 12,000 cubic meters per hectare, potentially reducing methane emissions – of which rice fields are currently responsible for 10 percent of the global total emissions. Eventually, this strain may be used on a large scale in countries where rice production is a staple for their people and their economy. For now, researchers are thrilled to have created a variety of rice that can withstand extreme weather conditions and even help in our fight against climate change.