Effects of UV-B and global climate change on rice production : The EPA/IRRI cooperative research plan

Abstract

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) are initiating a cooperative program on the effects of UV-B and global climate change (increased CO2 and temperature) on rice. Rice is the world's most important food crop and responds both to UV-B and climate change. The project will determine: 1. The effects of these stresses on the rice ecosystem. 2. The extent and intensity of those effects for Asia. 3. The importance of the rice ecosystem as a source of biogenic emissions such as methane and the impacts of environmental stress on those emissions. 4. Mitigation/adaptation options available to reduce any effects on rice yields and biogenic emissions. Scoping studies will produce UV-B and climate change scenarios for tropical rice growing areas. Experimental studies will be conducted in controlled environments and field plots to evaluate the sensitivity of genotypes, dose-response relationships, and other responses of rice to UV-B and global climate change. Complementary studies will determine the effects of these stresses on rice ecosystem components such as diseases and insects. Investigations will be made of methane emission rates from rice fields, and how those rates would change with climatic change. Models of rice plant processes and ecosystem structure and function will be used for predictive purposes and regional impact assessments. Ultimately, assessments based on modeling will provide options for policy makers and rice producers to mitigate the effects of UV-B and global climate change on rice production.