Why perennial rice developed in China is a big deal

Source: The post is based on the article “Why perennial rice developed in China is a big deal” published in Livemint on 29th November 2022.

What is the News?

Farmers in China are now growing a perennial variety of rice, that does not need to be planted every year. 

What is the Perennial Variety of Rice?

Perennial rice is a variety of long-lived rice that is capable of regrowing season after season without reseeding.

What is the Perennial Variety of Rice developed by China?

Researchers at Yunnan University have developed a variety of perennial rice named PR23 by cross-breeding regular annual rice Oryza sativa with a wild perennial variety from Africa. 

What are the benefits of perennial rice developed by China?

Firstly, unlike regular rice which is planted every season, PR23 can yield eight consecutive harvests across four years (as these plants with stronger roots grow back vigorously after each harvest). 

Secondly, growing PR23 is much cheaper since it requires: less labour, seeds, and chemical inputs.

Thirdly, growing perennial rice over a period of four years resulted in remarkable environmental benefits such as soils accumulating close to a ton of organic carbon  (per hectare per year) along with increases in water available to plants. 

Why is this discovery of the Perennial rice variety important?

Rice feeds about half of the world and its farming and consumption are primarily in Asia. Hence, perennial rice could be a transformational innovation if it proves to be economically sustainable.

What are the learnings for India? 

India is the world’s second-largest rice producer, after China, and the largest exporter with a 40% share in global trade. It is grown during both summer and winter crop seasons. 

Perennial rice can reduce the drudgery of annual transplantation, a back-breaking task, and generate savings on seeds and — other inputs.

China’s early success in perennial rice variety has another lesson for India. That is to raise investments in public research and agricultural sciences. This can help counter the impact of climate change on food security and rural incomes.