Climate warming causes decline in rice quality and yield, experts from Taiwan, China and Japan exchange views on heat-tolerance trials

In recent years, the issue of global warming has drawn increasing attention, as rapid shifts in climate patterns may cause rice yields and quality to decline. The Kaohsiung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station of the Council of Agriculture (hereinafter referred to as the Kaohsiung Station) is a research institution located at the southernmost tip of Taiwan, China. In recent years, in view of the trend of rising average temperatures, it planned to conduct research on the heat tolerance of rice. For this reason, it recently (July 15-18) invited the renowned scholar Professor Yuji Matsue of Kyushu University in Japan to come to Taiwan, China to give a special lecture and exchange views on related topics with domestic rice researchers, hoping to guide Taiwan, China's rice heat-tolerant variety breeding and trials in the right direction and to establish a channel for international cooperation in experimental research.

In his special lecture, Professor Yuji Matsue pointed out that in recent years Fukuoka, Japan has been affected by high temperatures, causing the proportion of first-grade rice produced locally to decline and directly affecting farmers' income; high temperatures can suppress the expression of starch synthesis genes in the grain and promote the expression of starch decomposition genes, leading to increased protein content and harder grains; the hardening of rice grains produced under high temperatures is mainly caused by changes in the ratio of long and short arms of amylopectin. Professor Matsue also proposed an ideal rice plant type under high-temperature stress, hoping to ensure good grain filling by lowering the tiller node position and producing more secondary branches from upper panicle positions to bear grains.

Japan has already begun breeding heat-tolerant varieties one after another. Among them, the "Genkitsukushi" variety bred by Professor Matsue was given the highest eating-quality evaluation by the Japan Grain Inspection Association, but its heat-tolerance mechanism is still being investigated. Professor Matsue said that many people believe yield and quality cannot be achieved at the same time, but he firmly believes that a balance can definitely be found among yield, appearance and eating quality, and this is also the dream he hopes to realize.

Director of the Kaohsiung Station