Cultivating climate-smart rice: How specific cultivars and smarter fertilizing can cut emissions and maintain yield 

By Bushra Humaira Sadaf

A team of researchers from the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), and Japan’s National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) has identified practical strategies to cut greenhouse gas emissions from rice fields without sacrificing yield, conducted across saline and non-saline regions of Bangladesh over consecutive rice seasons. The findings demonstrate that a combination of low-emission varieties and efficient nitrogen management can promote sustainable, climate-resilient rice cultivation across diverse environments.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from rice paddies are a significant contributor to climate change. A new multi-location study in Bangladesh identifies practical, on-farm strategies using specific rice varieties and optimized nitrogen management to significantly reduce global warming potential without sacrificing crop yield.

Rice cultivation is a major global agricultural activity, but the flooded conditions in rice paddies create a perfect environment for generating methane (CH4 ). Methane is a particularly potent greenhouse gas, significantly more potent at trapping heat than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. Nitrous oxide (N2 O), another powerful GHG, is also emitted, often due to excessive nitrogen fertilizer application. This research sought to find “climate-smart” practices that could lower these emissions while ensuring food security.