Climate Impact Analysis and Adaptations for Sustainable Rice Production System

Food security is a critical issue in the developing world. For about three billion people, more than half the world’s population, rice is staple food. In Asia as a whole, much of the population consumes rice in every meal. In many countries, rice accounts for more than 70% of human caloric intake. Rice is rich in nutrients and contains a number of vitamins and minerals. It is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates the best source of energy. Rice is a member of the grass family (Gramineae) and belongs to the genus Oryza under tribe Oryzeae. The wild species are widely distributed in the humid tropics and subtropics of Africa, Asia, Central and South America, and Australia. Of the two cultivated species, African rice ( Oryza glaberrima Steud.) is confined to West Africa, whereas common or Asian rice ( Oryza sativa L.) is now commercially grown in 112 countries, covering all continents. India is the second largest producer of rice in world after China with a total production of 133.7 million tonnes accounting for 21% of the total rice production. Rice in India is grown on 43 million ha in a diverse set of agro-environments varying in seasons, temperatures, rainfall, soil types, hydrology, varieties and input management. It is the staple food for a large majority of population and constitutes 43% of the total food (cereal and pulse grain) production.