Dutch experiment with cold-resistant rice on peat bog failed this year

Scientists at Wageningen University explained what caused the failure and announced their intentions to continue the experiment. Is growing cold-tolerant rice feasible on peatland in the Netherlands? A trial began in May 2023 in which researchers from Wageningen University and Leiden University planted about 3,000 rice plants in a field at the Polderlab near Leiden. The scientists wanted to test rice as a way to sustainably use peatlands in the future: keeping peat soil moist while producing food. Unfortunately, the experiment almost failed. For this experiment, we took a rice variety that had recently been successfully introduced into Northern Switzerland and, in theory, should have been suitable for the Dutch climate. At first the plants grew well and looked healthy. However, cold temperatures during flowering caused rice flowers to become sterile, causing only about 1% of the rice grains to develop. However, the researchers did not despair. Next year they will plant a larger ...