In search of rice to reduce methane emissions

Livestock, the petroleum industry and landfills are all leading producers of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. But another significant but less well known contributor is one of the world’s most popular crops: rice. Rice plants transport methane from the flooded rice field into the atmosphere. A new paper from researchers at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT has found that it is possible to lower emissions by developing new varieties of rice.