In a report by Nature Sustainability, researchers chronicle the success of perennial rice cultivation across China’s Yunnan Province. This new crop is changing the lives of over 55,752 smallholder farmers in southern China and Uganda by reducing labor and increasing profits. This new form of rice has been developed through hybridization, crossing an Asian domesticated annual rice with a wild perennial rice from Africa.
With few exceptions, perennial rice yield was equivalent to annual rice over the first four years of cultivation, but farmers growing perennial rice put in almost 60% less labor and spent nearly half on seed, fertilizer, and other inputs. This reduction in labor, often done by women and children, is important as it can be accomplished without substitution by fossil fuel-based equipment.
Not only is this new form of rice economically beneficial for farmers, it also provides significant environmental benefits. The research team documented higher soil organic carbon and nitrogen stored in soils under perennial rice, improving soil quality. Furthermore, avoiding twice-yearly tillage also helps replenish ecological systems required to maintain productivity over the long term.
The researchers are continuously refining the crop and plan to quickly introduce desirable traits such as aroma, disease resistance, and drought tolerance. Perennial rice is already a game changer for farmers in China and Uganda, and with further improvements, its reach could potentially expand across the globe.
