Bayer's Direct-Seeded Rice System Aims to Cut GHG Emissions and Water Use by 40%

On UN World Food Day, Bayer unveiled its Direct-Seeded Rice (DSR) system at the 6th International Rice Congress held in Manila. This shift from the conventional transplanted puddled rice cultivation to direct-seeded rice offers multiple advantages to farmers, including a potential reduction in water consumption by up to 40%, greenhouse gas emissions by up to 45%, and a decrease in the reliance on scarce and expensive manual labor by up to 50%. This introduction of the DSR system aligns with Bayer's recent commitment to regenerative agriculture, aiming to help farmers increase their yield while simultaneously promoting ecosystem restoration.

With these significant benefits, DSR could bring about a transformation in rice cultivation, as it is expected that 75% of India's total rice fields will adopt this method by 2040, compared to the current 11%. By 2030, Bayer's goal is to implement the DSR system across one million hectares in India, providing support to over two million smallholder rice farmers through its DirectAcres program. Already in progress, DirectAcres has achieved notable success, with 99% of Indian farmers achieving successful plant establishment and 75% experiencing higher returns on investment compared to traditional transplanted rice farming. Bayer intends to extend the DirectAcres program to other rice-producing nations in the Asia-Pacific region, beginning with the Philippines in 2024.

Frank Terhorst, Head of Strategy & Sustainability at Bayer's Crop Science division, emphasized the company's commitment to building systems based on regenerative agriculture practices that benefit both farmers and the environment, addressing global food security concerns. He praised direct-seeded rice as a prime example of a system with the potential to create a positive impact.

This system integrates seeds, crop protection, and digital solutions. Traditionally, rice farmers grew seedlings in nurseries before transplanting them into flooded paddy fields, maintaining constant water levels for months. Approximately 80% of the world's rice crop relies on this method. Bayer's advanced research and development efforts focus on designing climate-resilient rice hybrids with increased yields that can be directly sown in the soil, tailored to various farming conditions. Eliminating standing water allows machinery to handle many labor-intensive farming tasks. Reduced water usage, often employed to combat weeds, underscores the importance of crop protection solutions. Therefore, Bayer is working on new crop protection solutions, including a rice herbicide, to ensure effective and sustainable weed management in the direct-seeded rice system.

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Additionally, smallholder farmers benefit from Bayer's digital platform, FarmRise, which provides access to advisory services, essential machinery, inputs, and services. Over the long term, FarmRise aims to offer rice farmers data-driven insights to help them make informed agronomic decisions. FarmRise also connects smallholders to Bayer's Carbon Program, enabling them to earn additional income as they reduce emissions.

Rice, the world's third-largest crop, sustains over half of the global population. With the world's population projected to reach 10 billion by 2050, it is estimated that rice production needs to increase by 25% during this time to meet demand and stabilize prices. However, rice production also contributes significantly to climate change, accounting for 1.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, 12% of methane emissions, and consuming 43% of the world's irrigation water. Smallholder farmers, who number 150 million worldwide, require 4,000 to 5,000 liters of water to produce one kilogram of grain using traditional transplanted puddled rice cultivation methods.

Direct-seeded rice has the potential to reduce water usage and greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane emissions caused by bacteria in standing water. Furthermore, mechanization reduces the dependency on manual labor, addressing labor shortages in rural India due to rapid urbanization, as confirmed in the Farmer Voice study supported by Bayer, where 22% of Indian smallholder farmers identified labor costs as a significant operational challenge.

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Mike Graham, Head of Breeding at Bayer's Crop Science Division, emphasized the urgent need to collaborate and develop economically viable and sustainable rice cultivation systems. The direct-seeded rice system enables smallholder rice farmers to adapt to and mitigate climate change while running profitable businesses, enhancing their social well-being and that of their communities.

Transforming rice production is a monumental and complex ambition that necessitates a collaborative effort across the industry, the food supply chain, and beyond. Bayer is working alongside the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and has been part of the Direct Seeded Rice Consortium (DSRC) for several years. Recently, at COP27, Bayer, IRRI, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a partnership to improve the quality of life for smallholder rice farmers by introducing, testing, and scaling improved, climate-smart rice varieties and agronomic practices on farms.

Frank Terhorst stressed the importance of partnerships across the agricultural value chain to bring regenerative agriculture solutions to scale, making innovative tools and services widely accessible. In line with this commitment, Bayer pledged at the 2023 UN Water Conference to reduce water use by 25% per kilogram of rice produced by smallholder farmers enrolled in the DirectAcres program by 2030. Achieving one million hectares of direct-seeded rice by 2030 also aligns with the company's sustainability goals of reducing on-field greenhouse gas emissions by 30% per kilogram of crop produced and empowering 100 million smallholder farmers to increase productivity, improve produce quality, and enhance their livelihoods sustainably.

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