New rice variety cuts methane emissions by 70%

The world’s emissions of methane , a potent greenhouse gas, are increasing rapidly , and rice farming produces around 12% of these emissions. After identifying the organic compounds rice plants secrete into soil, researchers have used that information to breed a new variety of rice that produces higher grain yield and helps reduce methane production by 70% ( Mol. Plant 2025, DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2025.01.008 ). The roots of rice plants release carbohydrates and organic acids that microorganisms called methanogens devour, producing methane. But exactly which compounds instigate that process has been a mystery, says Anna Schnürer , a biotechnologist at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. To solve it, Schnürer, Chuanxin Sun , and their colleagues turned to a genetically modified (GM) rice strain they created a decade ago that sends less carbon to the roots, resulting in the release of less methane by the methanogens. “But we wanted to get