SINGAPORE – To mitigate the effects of rice cultivation on climate change and meet rising demand for rice, researchers in Singapore have come up with a way to grow it more sustainably.
An initiative by Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL) called Decarbonising Rice aims to reduce methane emissions, conserve water and increase rice yields.
The project won the Giving to Amplify Earth Action (GAEA) award in the Climate, Nature and Resilience Science category at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in January.
It is one of five initiatives that won the inaugural GAEA award for tackling global climate and nature challenges with innovative and scalable solutions.
GAEA is a philanthropic WEF initiative that intends to identify climate solutions and pilot funding models to support and scale them.
“For Asia and South-east Asia, where rice is both a staple food and an economic lifeline, these innovations can make farming more sustainable and resilient,” said Mr Peter Chia, chief executive of TLL.
“The project not only addresses climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also empowers smallholder farmers with technologies that improve productivity, adapt to extreme weather and secure livelihoods.”
Traditional methods of rice cultivation, such as flooding padi fields, make up about 10 per cent of global man-made methane emissions, according to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
Methane is the second-most abundant greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, accounting for about 11 per cent of global emissions, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Methane traps more heat than carbon dioxide.
IRRI said that the growing population is expected to drive a 30 per cent increase in rice demand by 2050. But more frequent extreme weather events driven by climate change, such as drought and floods, threaten rice production.
The initiative aims to make rice cultivation more sustainable through three key strategies: using climate-resilient rice varieties, improving water management and enhancing soil microbiomes, and monitoring methane emissions.
Small-scale trials were conducted in Singapore and Tamil Nadu in India from September 2022 to February 2025.
Rice agronomists collecting methane emissions produced by rice cultivation during a trial in India in December 2024. PHOTO: TEMASEK LIFE SCIENCES LABORATORY
They proved that the initiative helped to reduce methane emissions by up to 50 per cent and water consumption by up to 50 per cent, as well as increase rice yield by up to 10 per cent.
To scale up the project, trials which started in July 2024 in Laos, India and Indonesia will eventually be carried out across a total of 300ha of land in these three countries over two growing seasons.
Trials in different countries yield a wealth of data from different geographical locations, microclimates, and soil and farming practices, among others.
“We wanted to study all these things in different regions and come up with a standard package of practice for that region to increase farmers’ incomes,” said Dr Srinivasan Ramachandran, who is the principal investigator of the project.
Mr Chia added: “The aim is to validate the Decarbonising Rice solutions on smallholder farms, establish sustainable low-carbon rice cultivation practices, and increase yields while mitigating climate impacts.
“This will enable us to work with farmer groups, growers, millers, corporations, governments and other influential stakeholders in the rice industries on how we collectively scale the project.”
Dr Srinivasan Ramachandran (in black), who is the principal investigator of Decarbonising Rice, trains staff on how to collect and measure methane emissions in Wonogiri, Indonesia.PHOTO: TEMASEK LIFE SCIENCES LABORATORY
For the trials, climate-resilient rice varieties such as Temasek Rice, which is a hardy and climate resistant grain variety developed by TLL in Singapore, are used.
Developed using advanced plant breeding techniques, Temasek Rice withstands floods and can thrive for two weeks without water. The lab also found that Temasek Rice produces less methane compared with other rice varieties.
In the trials, drip irrigation is used, with pipes delivering precise amounts of water to rice roots, to make sure the optimal amount for rice cultivation is delivered.
Optimised fertiliser practices are also tapped to enhance soil health.
Rice cultivation does not require flooding but traditional farming methods have relied on flooding the fields to prevent weed growth.
This practice significantly increases methane emissions, said Dr Srinivasan.
Researchers also measure the amount of methane emitted by growing rice under different conditions to determine the best conditions to maintain or increase rice yield while keeping emissions low.
This is done by drawing out air samples from a clear, sealed box with a rice plant inside.
GAEA Awards winners will undergo a tailored journey based on their needs and priorities, with access to networks, knowledge and strategic support provided by the WEF and partners of the GAEA Awards, according to its website. The journey will last a year.
On winning the award, Dr Srinivasan said it gives the lab and project visibility to stakeholders like policymakers, industry experts and investors.
“In collaboration with local stakeholders, we aim to expand our programme to countries where rice is grown in a traditional way and help the farmers to adopt this technology to improve their livelihood, and at the same time mitigate climate stress to the environment,” he said.
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