Climate Adaptation Strategies for Maintaining Rice Grain Quality in Temperate Regions

TL;DR

This paper reviews how climate change affects rice quality in temperate regions and explores strategies like breeding and technology to adapt.

Contribution

The paper introduces integrated adaptation strategies combining breeding, water management, and advanced phenotyping tools for temperate rice quality.

Findings

Medium-grain japonica rice shows reduced amylose under heat stress.

Aromatic rice varieties experience disrupted aroma synthesis under drought.

Emerging technologies like hyperspectral imaging and machine learning can help monitor and adapt to climate impacts.

Abstract

Climate change presents significant challenges for temperate rice production systems, affecting both grain quality and consumer markets. This review examines how environmental factors including temperature extremes, altered rainfall patterns, elevated CO2, and increased salinity impact key quality parameters in temperate-grown rice, with particular focus on the Australian industry in comparison to other temperate regions. The Australian rice industry has developed adaptive capacity through breeding cold-tolerant varieties, implementing precision agriculture technologies, and optimising water-efficient practices. However, projected increases in temperature variability and altered precipitation patterns will continue to challenge quality maintenance. Emerging phenotyping technologies, including hyperspectral imaging and machine learning approaches, offer promising tools for monitoring climate impacts and accelerating adaptation. This review highlights the urgent need for integrated adaptation strategies combining improved understanding of physiological responses with practical breeding and management approaches to sustain temperate rice quality under increasing environmental variability.

Climate change poses significant challenges to temperate rice production, particularly affecting grain quality and market acceptance. This review synthesizes current knowledge of climate-induced quality changes, with a focus on the Australian rice industry as a case study with comparisons to other temperate regions. Environmental stressors such as extreme temperatures, variable rainfall, elevated CO2, and salinity disrupt biochemical pathways during grain development, altering physicochemical, textural, and aromatic traits. Different rice classes exhibit distinct vulnerabilities: medium-grain japonica varieties show reduced amylose under heat stress, aromatic varieties experience disrupted aroma synthesis under drought, and long-grain types suffer kernel damage under combined stresses. Temperature is a key driver, with quality deterioration occurring above 35 °C and below 15 °C. Systems biology analyses reveal complex signalling networks underpinning these stress responses, although experimental validation remains limited. The Australian industry has responded by developing cold-tolerant cultivars, precision agriculture, and water-saving practices, yet projected climate variability demands more integrated strategies. Priorities include breeding for stress-resilient quality traits, refining water management, and deploying advanced phenotyping tools. Emerging technologies like hyperspectral imaging and machine learning offer promise for rapid quality assessment and adaptive management. Sustaining high-quality rice in temperate zones requires innovation linking physiology with practical adaptation.

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