The Japanese agency predicts that global warming will reduce rice production

A Japanese research institute has found that if the world does not act aggressively to combat climate change, rice production could plunge by 35 percent and there will be a large increase in low-quality rice, such as white and opaque "chalky grains."

Kyodo News reported that Japan's agricultural and food industry Technology Research Institute used a "robotic artificial weather room" device to accurately control temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration and so on. The experiment compared the growth of rice in the year 2100 with the average value of 1990-1999 in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, based on climate predictions.

The results showed that the higher the temperature and the higher the carbon dioxide concentration, the shorter the time from planting to ear of the five varieties of rice. In addition, the weight of each rice ear will be reduced by an average of 35 percent, resulting in a reduced harvest.

It is reported that the proportion of chalky grains in Japanese rice "Koshihikari" in a standard year is 0% to 5%, but in the end of the 21st century, the proportion of chalky grains will rise to 30% to 70%. The hot summer of 2023 also led to an increase in the proportion of chalky grains, which in turn affected the rice flow.

Junichi Yomaru, who compiled the results, said: "The results of this experiment will let us know what will happen in the environment closest to the future, and will help to develop crops for the future environment." The research is also expected to contribute to research on crops such as soybeans and wheat, and cultivation methods in space environments.