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Would someone confirm my understanding that rice fails to germinate above 34C, and that most rice is grown in equatorial regions hovering around 32C? Given the

Would someone confirm my understanding that rice fails to germinate above 34C, and that most rice is grown in equatorial regions hovering around 32C? Given the +1.5C in the IPCC report, the loss of suitable land for a food crop as important as rice seems like something we should be actively talking about.

mark_l_watson 5y ago
Thanks for mentioning that, never heard this discussed before. Sorry for making this political, but if just a small percentage of what is spent on unending wars for profit was spent instead on new food and water preserving tech, then I think we could fix this.
SpicyLemonZest 5y ago
There can't possibly be a hard cutoff like that, because day-to-day temperature variations far exceed 1.5 degrees. Of course, even an incremental difference can tip farms over the line from sustainable to unsustainable, especially in subsistence farming regions where people are barely clinging on in the first place. But that has much different implications than a scenario where the world as a whole can't grow enough food.
MAGZine 5y ago
Rice is important but western agriculture (Wheat) is becoming increasingly precarious, too. Wheat likes long growing seasons sure, but you know what it doesn't like? Too much or too little rain. Extreme climate (hail+wind can basically shear off wheat). Early frost, or late frost. As the weather warms we experience more variable weather. This could mean more crops that get damaged or destroyed by random freezing events that start to happen in August or late snow/freezing that happens in May/June, after the seed is in the ground. We'll still be able to farm wheat for sure, just like asian/equatorial countries will be able to farm rice, even as the temperature rises. The ability to produce will certainly decline as weather ravages crops before harvest. Places that have traditionally been in the goldilocks zone for production are leaving it.
- fragmede 5y ago
  The US as a whole, grows 10 million tons a year, putting it at the 11th spot for production of rice. Almost all of that rice is consumed domestically as well. If rice couldn't be grown in the US we'd have similar problems as if wheat couldn't be grown.
wefarrell 5y ago
Rice production is responsible for a large portion of methane emissions so it would be better if it was replaced with something else.
a_square_peg 5y ago
Due to humidity, temperature rise in equatorial regions will be less pronounced (heat index or humidex, on the other hand...).

mark_l_watson 5y ago

Thanks for mentioning that, never heard this discussed before. Sorry for making this political, but if just a small percentage of what is spent on unending wars for profit was spent instead on new food and water preserving tech, then I think we could fix this.

SpicyLemonZest 5y ago

There can't possibly be a hard cutoff like that, because day-to-day temperature variations far exceed 1.5 degrees. Of course, even an incremental difference can tip farms over the line from sustainable to unsustainable, especially in subsistence farming regions where people are barely clinging on in the first place. But that has much different implications than a scenario where the world as a whole can't grow enough food.

MAGZine 5y ago

Rice is important but western agriculture (Wheat) is becoming increasingly precarious, too. Wheat likes long growing seasons sure, but you know what it doesn't like? Too much or too little rain. Extreme climate (hail+wind can basically shear off wheat). Early frost, or late frost. As the weather warms we experience more variable weather. This could mean more crops that get damaged or destroyed by random freezing events that start to happen in August or late snow/freezing that happens in May/June, after the seed is in the ground. We'll still be able to farm wheat for sure, just like asian/equatorial countries will be able to farm rice, even as the temperature rises. The ability to produce will certainly decline as weather ravages crops before harvest. Places that have traditionally been in the goldilocks zone for production are leaving it.

fragmede 5y ago
The US as a whole, grows 10 million tons a year, putting it at the 11th spot for production of rice. Almost all of that rice is consumed domestically as well. If rice couldn't be grown in the US we'd have similar problems as if wheat couldn't be grown.

wefarrell 5y ago

Rice production is responsible for a large portion of methane emissions so it would be better if it was replaced with something else.

a_square_peg 5y ago

Due to humidity, temperature rise in equatorial regions will be less pronounced (heat index or humidex, on the other hand...).