1489. Sustainable Rice Farming Pioneered by Improved Nitrogen Use Efficiency Through Early Heading

JIRCAS announced that, through international collaborative research with the Philippine Rice Research Institute, it has developed a new rice line, “NR160E,” which enhances nitrogen use efficiency and grain yield through early heading (Sasaki et al. 2026, Press Release). This achievement was made by using the high-yielding indica variety “NSIC Rc 160” as a foundation and successfully maintaining and improving productivity even after advancing the heading date by approximately 8 to 10 days (Photo 1).

In rice cultivation across the Asian monsoon region, large amounts of nitrogen fertilizer are applied to increase yields; however, this practice faces a dilemma as environmental burdens—such as groundwater contamination, greenhouse gas emissions, and the proliferation of pests and diseases—are becoming increasingly apparent, creating a strong demand for a shift toward sustainable rice farming. This achievement demonstrates that this challenge can be resolved through plant breeding and represents a significant scientific finding that provides a scientific basis for the transition to sustainable rice farming technologies. In this study, field trials were conducted under Japan’s mid-latitude, long-day conditions, revealing that even when nitrogen fertilizer application was reduced to half the standard amount, NR160E yielded higher grain yields than the original variety. Furthermore, the variety demonstrated high nitrogen use efficiency, producing higher yields with the same amount of nitrogen uptake. It is therefore expected to serve as a promising breeding material capable of achieving stable production while reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers.

In recognition of the achievements and contributions of this long-standing collaborative research, including the present study, the Philippine Rice Research Institute presented a certificate of appreciation to the JIRCAS (Photo 2). This symbolizes the high regard in which the research results are held, as they directly address challenges faced in rice farming, particularly in the Philippines. Part of this research is featured in Green Asia Report Series No. 12, a publication of JIRCAS. In addition to the development of NR160E, this report summarizes the development and demonstration results of rice varieties with improved nitrogen use efficiency for Indonesia, providing insights into the prospects for technology dissemination.

(Reference)

Sasaki, K., Saito, H., Mananghaya, T. E., Niones, J. M., & Obara, M. (2026). Development and Evaluation of an Early Heading Rice Line from the Indica High-Yielding Variety NSIC Rc 160. Plant Direct, 10(3), e70160.

Contributors: OBARA Mitsuhiro and SASAKI Kazuhiro (Biological Resources and Post-harvest Division); SAITO Hiroki (Tropical Agricultural Research Front)