溫室氣體濃度升高引起之升溫現象,預期將會降低栽培於熱帶地區之水稻產量。除了直接的減少產量作用,高溫亦將造成海平面上升,並伴隨不穩定的氣候及極端天氣事件,而進一步的減少水稻產量並增加栽植水稻的風險。氣候變遷也將導致非生物型逆境(abiotic stresses)的惡化,諸如高溫、乾旱、水患及鹽害等將更形嚴重。即使目前的升溫幅度尚未成為主要問題,然而其他逆境已經對熱帶亞洲的不良環境帶來廣泛地產量限制效果。將耐逆境因子導入高產的作物品種之中,已被證實為一項調適逆境的有效方法,對於緩和氣候變遷的負面衝擊至少具有部分實效。吾人可從事此一耐逆境品種的選育工作,將具有調適能力的品種栽植於高逆境風險地區,以減輕因氣候變遷升高的逆境危害。
Rising temperatures due to accumulation of greenhouse gasses are expected to result in declining rice yields in the tropics. In addition to the direct effect of high temperature in reducing yields, a rise in sea level coupled with more erratic and extreme weather events will result in reduced yields and increase the risks of rice farming. The abiotic stresses that are anticipated to worsen as the consequences of climate change include high temperature, drought, flooding and salinity stresses. While high temperature is not currently a major problem, the other stresses are already widespread yield limiting factors in the unfavorable environments of tropical Asia. Incorporating stress tolerance into high-yielding varieties has proven to be a very effective approach to developing varieties that can cope with these situations. These successes provide optimism that the problem of climate change can be addressed partially through development and dissemination of adapted germplasm.