Current Status and Challenges of Rice Production in China

Abstract

: Rice production in China has more than tripled in the past fi ve decades mainly due to increased grain yield rather than increased planting area. This increase has come from the development of high-yielding varieties and improved crop management practices such as nitrogen fertilization and irrigation. However, yield stagnation of rice has been observed in the past ten years in China. As its population rises, China will need to produce about 20% more rice by 2030 in order to meet its domestic needs if rice consumption per capita stays at the current level. This is not an easy task because several trends and problems in the Chinese rice production system constrain the sustainable increase in total rice production. Key trends include a decline in arable land, increasing water scarcity, global climate change, labor shortages, and increasing consumer demand for high-quality rice (which often comes from low-yielding varieties). The major problems confronting rice production in China are narrow genetic background, overuse of fertilizers and pesticides, breakdown of irrigation infrastructure, oversimplifi ed crop management, and a weak extension system. Despite these challenges, good research strategies can drive increased rice production in China. These include the development of new rice varieties with high yield potential, improvement of resistances to major diseases and insects, and to major abiotic stresses such as drought and heat, and the establishment of integrated crop management. We believe that a sustainable increase in rice production is achievable in China with the development of new technology through rice research.

Potential impacts of climate change and climate variability on China’s rice yield and production

“…Drought and heat have been ascribed as the primary climate stresses for yield losses in the major ricegrowing areas of China (Peng et al 2009). Since rice was irrigated in the simulation, impacts of climate variability other than temperature and radiation were not covered in the present study.…”

Comparison on Grain Quality Between Super Hybrid and Popular Inbred Rice Cultivars Under Two Nitrogen Management Practices

“…Although Chinese rice production has increased more than threefold in the past ive decades [2], rapid population growth and economic development have been posing a growing pressure for increased food production [3]. It is projected that China will need to produce about 20% more rice by 2030 in order to fulil its domestic needs [4].…”

Yield and nitrogen use efficiency of aromatic rice varieties in response to nitrogen fertilizer

“…At farmers level, the rate of applied N fertilizer is usually greater than the recommendation for maximum crop growth and maximum yields (Fan et al, 2012). However, excessive N input could cause groundwater pollution by nitrates, increase the rice production cost, and reduce paddy yield and contribute to global warming (Peng et al, 2009;Pen et al, 2010;Guo et al, 2010;Fan et al, 2012). Nitrogen fertilizer recommendation can be based on addressing soil residual nitrogen or yield target however, real time N management and site specific nitrogen management are revealed more profitable, taking into account the temporal and spatial variability in soil properties with the least environmental negative effects (Ferguson et al, 2002;Herell et al, 2011;Djaman et al, 2013).…”