February 2026 issue

Volume 71, Issue 2

As climate change reshapes growing conditions worldwide, researchers are racing to reimagine how staple crops like rice can adapt. Higher temperatures can increase evaporation and dry out the soil, and variable temperature conditions can also retard seed germination, increase injury and rot, delay vegetative growth, and produce poor grain filling. As temperature and precipitation patterns shift, growers may explore new territories that may leave rice, in particular, vulnerable to cold sensitivity. 

Our cover story this month explores how advances in rice genetics are helping scientists develop more resilient crops capable of thriving in increasingly unpredictable conditions.

Cover photo courtesy of Adobe Stock/wasan.