The Quest to Save the ‘King’ of Japanese Rice From Rising Temperatures

and Reporting from across Niigata Prefecture on Japans western coast Scientists in Japan are racing against time to save the countrys most popular rice from the devastating effects of climate change. At a research center in Niigata Prefecture, Japans mountainous heartland of rice production, a team of scientists has identified a pattern within rice DNA that makes certain varieties of the plant resistant to heat. They are now embarking on a quest to crossbreed that genetic signature into Koshihikari, the Japanese rice that has overwhelmingly topped supermarket sales in the country for over 40 years. Whether they succeed could determine the fate of the bouncy and sweet cultivar long regarded as the king of Japanese rices. Last year, Koshihikari rice across Japan was devastated by the hottest summer on record. Compared with other types of rice, Koshihikari has a particularly low tolerance for heat, and the scorching temperatures turned its grains cloudy and brittle. That was a crushing blow to farmers in Niigata, where Koshihikari rice is the economys biggest agricultural output. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and your Times account, or for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? . Want all of The Times? .