To find out, CIRAD researchers simulated the climate we are likely to have in 30 years' time, in a high-tech laboratory. The conclusion was that depending on the rice variety, photosynthesis and production were boosted, albeit to varying extents, by an increase in atmospheric CO2. Morphology, notably the leaf:panicle ratio, could determine a plant's capacity to benefit from increased CO2. This research will be an asset in steering future varietal breeding programmes, as shown in this video, in the run-up UN Climate Action Summit.

References

Triose Phosphate Utilization is key to photosynthetic response of rice to future climates and variable C source-sink relations

Genotypic variation in morphological source and sink traits affects the response of rice photosynthesis and growth to elevated atmospheric CO2