Fighting climate change: Rice variety developed with nuclear techniques expands in Indonesia (Chinese Edition)

Stocky, strong and quick to ripen - that is how Indonesian farmers like their rice, and that is exactly what nuclear science has delivered to them. And higher income, to top it all. Late 2017 was the second season that some 200 farmers in East Java used the variety Inpari Sidenuk ("nuclear dedication" in Indonesian), meeting the challenge posed by climate change while doubling their yields to 9 tons per hectare. Inpari Sidenuk is one of 22 rice varieties developed by scientists at the country's National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN) using irradiation, a process often used to generate new and useful traits in crops (see The Science box).