Rice Production Research Articles

The development of diverse forms of agricultural scale operations is widely recognized as a cornerstone of modern agricultural management. Most existing studies largely examine land-scale or service-scale operations in isolation and pay little attention to their potential synergies in achieving economies of scale. Using survey data on 1026 plots from 865 rice farmers in Jiangsu Province, China, this study employs fixed-effects regression models to investigate how land-scale and service-scale operations jointly promote scale economies through agricultural machinery utilization. The empirical results reveal three key findings: (i) both land-scale and service-scale operations significantly reduce per-mu (1 mu = 0.067 ha) machinery costs, thereby generating scale economies; (ii) their synergy further amplifies these economies, providing strong evidence of synergy rather than substitution; and (iii) village governance significantly moderates this relationship, with stronger governance reinforcing the synergistic effects between land- and service-scale operations. These findings suggest that dual agricultural scale operations are mutually reinforcing in promoting mechanization. Policy should therefore prioritize their synergistic development and recognize the coordinating role of village collectives.

Abstract. Increasing evidence highlights the disruptive effects of compound climate extremes on global crop yields under climate change. Existing studies predominantly rely on the whole growing–season scale and relative thresholds, and limit the ability to capture crop physiological sensitivities and yield responses that vary critically across growth stages. Here, we analyzed the spatiotemporal variations, dominant drivers, and potential impacts on the yields of concurrent heat–drought and chilling–rain events for single– and late–rice in southern China from 1981 to 2018. Specifically, we carefully distinguished three sensitive growth stages of rice and stage–specific climate stress types and thresholds based on rice physiology. Temporally, single–rice experienced a significant increase in concurrent heat–drought events, while late–rice experienced a modest rise in chilling–rain events. Spatially, the hotspots of concurrent heat–drought events varied greatly across the three growth stages. These spatial patterns are driven primarily by differences in crop phenology across locations, rather than by the occurrence of extreme climate conditions. The concurrent chilling–rain events of late–rice were widespread within the planting regions, with a higher incidence in certain areas. Path analysis identified heat stress as the primary driver of heat–drought impacts (particularly in jointing–booting and heading–flowering stages), whereas chilling and rain stress exerted comparable effects for late–rice. Our assessment of compound event impacts and sensitivity on rice yield revealed significant growth–stage differences, with comparable yield losses from both concurrent heat–drought and chilling–rain events. Single–rice showed the highest sensitivity to heat–drought events during the grain filling stage, whereas the late–rice exhibited greater sensitivity during the heading–flowering stage. The historical impact on yield diverged markedly across growth stages, with the largest having occurred in the grain filling stage, particularly for heat–drought events. Our study provided important information on compound agroclimatic extremes, in the context of southern China's rice production system, and the results provide important information for risk management and adaptation strategies under climate change.

Salinity stress is a major challenge to global rice production and agricultural sustainability, especially as climate change intensifies its impact. This study highlights the need for salinity-tolerant rice genotypes to support climate-resilient agriculture. Seventeen traditional rice landraces were evaluated alongside a salt-tolerant check (PTB 33) and a susceptible check (IR 64) using phenotypic and molecular approaches. Phenotypic assessments included germination percentage, salt tolerance index, seedling growth and growth reduction under NaCl-induced salinity levels of 2500 ppm, 5000 ppm, 7500 ppm and 10000 ppm. Molecular characterization involved 20 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, of which six (RM 8094, RM 237, RM 314, RM 3412, RM 562 and RM 284) were identified as polymorphic. The polymorphic information content (PIC) values were calculated for all six markers to assess marker informativeness. Genetic diversity analysis using DARwin 6.0 software grouped genotypes into four distinct clusters, demonstrating substantial variability. Among the genotypes, Kothamalli Samba showed strong salinity tolerance with high germination rates, robust seedling growth and minimal growth reduction across all salinity levels. Maikuruvai and Nellaiyappar exhibited moderate tolerance, whereas Kallundai was highly susceptible. The molecular findings corroborated the phenotypic results, offering valuable insights into the genetic basis of salinity tolerance. These findings provide a foundation for developing mapping populations and precision breeding strategies aimed at enhancing salinity resilience in rice. By leveraging genetic diversity, breeders can optimize heterosis, accelerate the development of high-yielding, salt-tolerant rice varieties and strengthen climate-resilient agriculture.

BackgroundSoil salinization threatens global rice production, driving the urgent need for salt-tolerant rice cultivars. Sea rice HD961, renowned for its exceptional salt tolerance, serves as an ideal model for elucidating molecular adaptations to salinity.ResultsIn this study, we generated a high-quality, chromosome-level genome assembly of HD961 using Nanopore long-read sequencing, Illumina short-read polishing, and Hi-C-based scaffolding, providing a robust foundation for translatomic analysis. To explore translational responses to salt stress, we integrated ribosome profiling (Ribo-seq) with the QEZ-seq protocol and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) under 150 mM NaCl conditions. Our results reveal that salt stress selectively enhances translational efficiency (TE) in genes critical for ion homeostasis, antioxidant defense, and cell wall remodeling, enabling HD961 to maintain cellular balance under stress. Especially, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2B (eIF2B) emerged as a key regulator, with its upregulation and the formation of stress-induced eIF2B-containing bodies indicating a novel mechanism to optimize protein synthesis. Additionally, ribosome footprint profiling revealed codon-specific modulation of A-site dwell times, with the GCG codon showing a particularly pronounced shift under salt stress, suggesting fine-tuned translational control that prioritizes stress-responsive proteins.ConclusionTogether, these findings highlight eIF2B-mediated translational regulation as central to HD961’s salt tolerance, offering valuable genomic and translatomic resources for breeding salt-tolerant rice and other crops.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-025-02440-3.

Rice production faces severe challenges from abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, heat, cold and nutrient imbalance, causing yield losses of 30-70 % depending on stress severity and developmental stage. SQUAMOSA promoter binding protein-LIKE (SPL) genes, regulated primarily by miR156 and miR529, have emerged as key transcriptional regulators of abiotic stress tolerance in rice. This review synthesizes current research on SPL gene functions in stress adaptation, examining their roles in hormone signalling, ion homeostasis and developmental regulation during both vegetative and reproductive stages. We analyse functional genomics and reverse genetics studies demonstrating SPL contributions to yield improvement and stress tolerance and evaluate recent advances in CRISPR/Cas9 and base editing technologies for precise SPL gene modulation. The findings reveal distinct tissue specific and developmental stage specific functions of miR156/miR529-SPL regulatory modules, with miR156 predominantly controlling vegetative development while miR529 regulates reproductive processes. This review provides a framework for leveraging SPL gene networks in developing climate-resilient rice varieties through targeted genome editing approaches.

Background/Objectives: Bacterial blight (BB) represents one of the most devastating diseases threatening global rice production. Exploring and characterizing disease resistance (R) genes provides an effective strategy for controlling BB and enhancing rice resilience. Common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon) serves as a valuable reservoir of genetic diversity and disease resistance resources. In this study, we identified and functionally characterized a novel NLR gene, YPR1, from common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon), which exhibited significant spatial, temporal, and tissue-specific expression patterns. Methods: Using a combination of conventional PCR, RT-PCR, bioinformatics, transgenic analysis, and CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing approaches, the full-length YPR1 sequence was successfully cloned. Results: The gene spans 4689 bp with a coding sequence (CDS) of 2979 bp, encoding a 992-amino acid protein. Protein domain prediction revealed that YPR1 is a typical CNL-type NLR protein, comprising RX-CC_like, NB-ARC, and LRR domains. The predicted molecular weight of the protein is 112.43 kDa, and the theoretical isoelectric point (pI) is 8.36. The absence of both signal peptide and transmembrane domains suggests that YPR1 functions intracellularly. Furthermore, the presence of multiple phosphorylation sites across diverse residues implies a potential role for post-translational regulation in its signal transduction function. Sequence alignment showed that YPR1 shared 94.02% similarity with Os09g34160 and up to 96.47% identity with its closest homolog in the NCBI database, confirming that YPR1 is a previously unreported gene. To verify its role in disease resistance, an overexpression vector (Ubi–YPR1) was constructed and introduced into the BB-susceptible rice cultivar JG30 via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. T1 transgenic lines were subsequently inoculated with 15 highly virulent Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) strains. The transgenic plants exhibited strong resistance to eight strains (YM1, YM187, C1, C5, C6, T7147, PB, and HZhj19), demonstrating a broad-spectrum resistance pattern. Conversely, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of YPR1 in common wild rice resulted in increased susceptibility to most Xoo strains. Although the resistance of knockout lines to strains C7 and YM187 was comparable to that of the wild type (YPWT), the majority of knockout plants exhibited more severe symptoms and significantly lower YPR1 expression levels compared with YPWT. Conclusions: Collectively, these findings demonstrate that YPR1 plays a crucial role in bacterial blight resistance in common wild rice. As a novel CNL-type NLR gene conferring specific resistance to multiple Xoo strains, YPR1 provides a promising genetic resource for the molecular breeding of BB-resistant rice varieties.

The effect of microplastic pollution on rice growth, paddy soil properties, and greenhouse gas emissions: A global meta-analysis.

Farmers agronomic management responses to extreme drought and rice yields in Bihar, India

Bridging yield gaps in rice production through integrated crop and nutrient management with farmer groups

Improved yield, economic benefits and environmental stewardship with controlled-release urea and urea in the rice production

Multi-objective water management strengthens synergistic control of nitrogen and phosphorus losses and CH4 emissions in paddies in the Yangtze River Basin.

Pmk1 as a target for both protective and curative treatments against pathogenic fungi.

Telecoupling China's rice production: features and causes

Oryza coarctata is a wild rice species native to saline and coastal environments, making it an important genetic resource for developing salt-tolerant rice varieties. Its unique ability to thrive well on high-saline soil and waterlogged condition that offers valuable traits for breeding programs aimed at addressing the challenges of salinization in agricultural lands. With the rising sea levels as well as increasing salinity of arable land, O. coarctata provides essential genetic material to improve the resilience and productivity of cultivated rice towards salinity stress, thus ensuring food security for a growing global population. Additionally, it serves as a model organism for studying plant adaptations towards extreme environments, contributing to advances in stress physiology and sustainable farming practices. In this review, we have summarised the recent research and significant discoveries concerning O. coarctata and also proposed future perspectives for its sustainable utilization in developing new rice cultivars.

Transcriptome analysis of OsNCED3 transgenic rice reveals the response mechanism to alkaline stress.

Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) productivity is critical for global food security, but it is increasingly vulnerable to environmental fluctuation and emerging pathogens and insects. WRKY is one of the largest plant transcription factors families, governing plant growth and stress adaptation as versatile regulators. However, a comprehensive review on rice WRKYs, especially incorporating recent findings, is still lacking. Here, we integrate current advances in the multifaceted roles of OsWRKYs, including regulating seed germination, vegetative growth, reproduction, and leaf senescence, as well as coordinating adaptive responses to various abiotic stresses (temperature, drought, salinity, heavy metals, nutrient imbalance) and biotic challenges (pathogens and insect herbivory). We detail how OsWRKY transcriptionally modulates target genes by binding to W-box elements involved in signaling of phytohormones (abscisic acid, gibberellin, salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and ethylene), reactive oxygen species homeostasis, and defense responses, thereby fine-tuning the trade-off between growth and defense. Additionally, we propose future research directions on how OsWRKYs prioritize responses under combined stresses and how their activity is regulated across multiple levels. The insights into these regulatory mechanisms lay a foundation for rational genetic engineering and genome editing of OsWRKYs to facilitate the development of rice varieties with enhanced yield and stress resilience.

Untargeted metabolomics analysis in tolerant and susceptible landraces of rice under sodicity stress.

Research progress on genes and regulatory mechanisms of drought resistance in rice.

Identification of agronomic and physiological traits in high rolling-resistance varieties for mechanized ratoon rice production

Effect of pulsed magnetic field on the rheological properties, structure, quality attributes of rice starch gel.