Very soon, the shortage of water and population explosion in the world may cost you your plate of biryani, and for many, their livelihood. Researchers from ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad and Telangana State Agricultural University, Hyderabad, have identified essential genes that help in the adaptation of aerobic rice to water-scarce conditions.

Tiny RNA lost during domestication created robust rice varieties, shows study by NCBS, Bengaluru. 

Oryza sativa, or rice, is the staple food of more than half the world’s population and supports the livelihoods of around 145 million households. Since its domestication thousands of years ago, rice has played an essential role in shaping civilisations. However, present-day practices of rice cultivation may harm the planet's climate, shows a recent study conducted in India.

Rice is the most widely consumed staple cereal in Asia and is the agricultural commodity with the third-highest worldwide production. Paddy fields are at the eye of a storm as they are a significant contributor of greenhouse gases (GHG) like methane that are known to contribute towards global warming. The warm, waterlogged soil conditions in rice fields promote the growth of microorganisms that release carbon-dioxide and transform it into methane. One way to manage this is by increasing the ability of the soil to store more organic carbon.

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, offer critical insights into the intrinsic nature of certain types of rice that can resist drought.

Scientists from the Indian Institute of Sceince, Bangalore show us how the humble grain of rice can be a historian and meterologist!

It was in the 1970s that the term ‘climate change’ was coined. Agriculture is one sector that both contributes to and affected by climate change, and research around the world is now advancing towards ‘climate-smart’ agriculture. Carbon or carbon dioxide is one of the culprits for the rising temperature across the globe. Agricultural operations such as tillage, fertilization, irrigation, crop protection and so on are responsible for release of CO2 and other greenhouse gases from agricultural landscape to atmosphere.