Genetic selection could help farmers and breeders reduce greenhouse gases from crops, particularly rice cultivation, research by the University of Warwick and Cranfield University shows.
Genetic selection could help farmers and breeders reduce greenhouse gases from crops, particularly rice cultivation, research by the University of Warwick and Cranfield University shows.
The intensification of farming to meet global food demand has made agriculture one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While practices such as nitrogen fertiliser use are known to drive nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, crop varieties themselves also influence emissions. Until now, it has not been clear which varieties best balance high yields with lower GHG release.
A new study, published in Frontiers in Agronomy, has performed the first comparison of crop variety impacts on GHGs on a global scale. The analysis shows that the choice of crop variety (specifically rice) has a greater effect on methane (CH₄) emissions than fertiliser management – a critical finding given the importance of rice in global food supply.
Read More at: University of Warwick
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