BASF Agricultural Solutions and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) have extended their scientific collaboration 'Optimizing Management for Reduction of Greenhouse Gases in Rice' — OPTIMA Rice — to push sustainable rice cultivation further, targeting cuts in methane and other greenhouse gases. Launched in 2024, the multi-year project sets out to develop solutions that are practical, economically viable for farmers and supported by field evidence, pairing BASF's experience of bringing sustainable practices into working farms with IRRI's rice research.

The first phase showed that letting paddies dry out at controlled intervals — alternate wetting and drying, made possible through direct-seeded rice — can significantly reduce methane emissions and lower water use without compromising yields, as reported in the Global Carbon Field Trial Report 2025. That matters for farmers considering carbon-farming programmes, who would have to change how they irrigate their paddies; improved straw management, the partners found, can lower methane further.

In the next phase BASF and IRRI turn to soil health — in particular the role of carbon and nitrogen in the soil — on the reasoning that climate-smart farming must preserve soil health to secure long-term productivity, and that the effect of changed water use on soils over time is not yet well understood. The partners will also examine further approaches such as biochar, which can store carbon in the soil while improving its fertility and structure.

'Climate-smart rice systems must work on the farm, not just on paper,' said Marko Grozdanovic, senior vice-president for global strategic marketing and sustainability at BASF Agricultural Solutions. 'We know that adopting new approaches is not always easy for farmers. It takes trust, support and proven solutions.' IRRI director general Yvonne Pinto said rice is a staple for billions and 'transforming how it is grown is critical for both climate action and sustainable livelihoods for farmers'.

OPTIMA Rice is rooted in field trials in the Philippines, but its findings are designed to be relevant across the major rice-growing regions — markets such as China, India, Japan, Brazil and Italy.

Source: AgroSpectrum