If Chilean tests go right, rice lovers can eat staple guilt free: Paddy to drink less water

First Post

30-04-2025

A new variety of rice, called Jaspe, has been developed by scientists. Combined with a less water-intensive growing technique, the Jaspe strain has significantly lowered water use while boosting yields in trials read more
Rice farming could soon use lesser water for growth. File image/Reuters
In the middle of a 15-year megadrought, Chilean farmers are testing a new rice strain that could offer relief to growers in dry regions and reduce the environmental toll of one of the world's most water-intensive crops.
The variety, called Jaspe, has been developed by scientists at Chile's Agricultural Research Institute (INIA) by crossing a native strain with a Russian seed better suited to cold, arid climates. Combined with a less water-intensive growing technique, the Jaspe strain has significantly lowered water use while boosting yields in trials.
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'This is the future,' said Javier Munoz, a 25-year-old farmer in the Nuble region of southern Chile. 'If we want… food security and care about the environment, this is the way.'
From flooded fields to targeted irrigation
Traditionally, rice is grown in paddies that are flooded throughout the growing cycle. This helps control weeds and protect seedlings but requires about 2,500 litres (660 gallons) of water for every kilogram of rice produced.
However, in the trial led by Munoz, water use was slashed by 50% by watering intermittently rather than flooding the fields. The Jaspe strain also proved to be more productive, with each seed yielding up to 30 plants— nearly 10 times more than conventional fields.
Munoz used a technique called System of Rice Intensification (SRI), developed in Madagascar in the 1980s, which spaces seedlings wider apart and enriches the soil, encouraging stronger roots. The combination of this method with the Jaspe hybrid made cultivation possible even in Nuble, one of the southernmost rice-growing regions in the world.
Chile consumes about 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of rice per person each year, with nearly half grown locally. Most of it still using traditional flooded methods. The country's rice sector has been struggling to adapt as drought conditions driven by climate change worsen.
Lower emissions, bigger yields
Scientists say that shifting to this method could also bring environmental benefits. Flooded rice fields contribute about 10 per cent of human-driven methane emissions, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Jaspe's drier growing conditions reduce the microbial activity responsible for methane release.
The Chilean government approved Jaspe for commercial use in 2023, and the team behind it hopes to introduce the strain in Brazil and other parts of South America.
Karla Cordero, the lead agricultural engineer on the project, said the goal is to test the system in larger rice-producing areas hit by drought. 'The plants are much more robust, which allows rice to be produced without flooding,' she said.
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FAO rice expert Makiko Taguchi called the project 'a promising approach to improving rice production while reducing the environmental impact,' noting that similar research is underway in Japan and other countries facing climate pressures.
Munoz now plans to expand his rice cultivation area fivefold by next year. 'This method lets us do more with less,' he said.