The high-yield IR8, so-called Miracle Rice, was developed in the 1960s and saved millions in Asia from starvation. But now, climate change seems to be reducing yields. According to research by Shaobing Peng in the current edition of the journal Field Crop Research, yields have fallen by 15 percent, primarily due to hotter nights, and also air pollution and changes in soil properties from increased flooding. Peng calls for further research to preserve rice yields in the face of environmental stress and growing populations dependent on the staple. Also imperiling rice crops are rising sea levels; a 1 meter rise would inundate hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of coastal wetlands, among the most productive rice-growing areas in the world. Powerful storms, another feature of climate change, have already killed thousands, also decimating rice crops. Science can develop a better rice plant, but humans must be sure to preserve land where it can grow. – YaleGlobal
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