AUTHOR=Wang Yong , Yang Taotao , Xiong Ruoyu , Zeng Yanhua , Zhang Jun , Tang Feiyu , Zeng Yongjun , Huang Shan 

TITLE=Effect of climate warming on the grain quality of early rice in a double-cropped rice field: A 3-year measurement

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

VOLUME=Volume 7 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1133665

DOI=10.3389/fsufs.2023.1133665

ISSN=2571-581X

ABSTRACT=The threat of climate warming to global rice production has been widely addressed, but little is known about its influence on the quality of rice grains. Here, a free-air temperature increase (FATI) facility with two widely-planted high-quality cultivars was conducted to explore the impact of warming on the grain quality of early rice in subtropical China over 3 consecutive years. Compared to the control, FATI increased diurnal canopy temperature by 1.5℃, and thus rice growth duration was shortened by 4.0 d under warming. We found that warming significantly reduced both the milled rice and head rice rates relative to the control, thereby leading to a decrease in the milled rice and head rice yield by 3.9% and 8.3%, respectively. Chalky grain rate and chalkiness were increased by 19.1% and 22.2% under warming compared to the control, respectively. The content of protein, essential amino acids, and nonessential amino acids was increased by 4.1%, 5.4%, and 4.9% under warming, respectively. Warming reduced amylose content and setback by 2.0% and 47.5%, while increasing peak viscosity, trough viscosity, breakdown, and final viscosity by 9.5%, 13.6%, 5.7%, and 6.0%, respectively. Therefore, our results suggest that the deteriorated milling and appearance quality induced by warming may be an upcoming challenge for high-quality early rice production in the future.