Management practices and elevated atmospheric CO

Rice is a staple agricultural resource for over half the global population. Using the data-modeling methods, which account for major biophysical processes and all major environmental and management factors, our study shows that rice production for 2006-2015 has increased by almost 2-fold since the 1960s, despite growing concerns about climate change and other extreme climate event risks. Management practices through the expansion of irrigated and non-irrigated cropping harvested areas and the increased rates of N fertilizer and manure application have helped to maintain higher production rates since the 1960s. The global production of rice for the decade 2006-2015 was 713 million tons per year, with South and Southeast Asia by far the largest rice-producing region, and China (24%), India (22%), and Thailand (9%) being the top three producers. Multiple cropping increases overall production, with the highest rice yield in season one due to a longer growing period and favorable conditions, while yields decline in the subsequent seasons. The results show that global transplanted rice yields are 25% higher than direct-seeded rice yields. Accounting for the effects of management factors, the total production increased by 76%. The expansion of rice-planting areas was the primary management contributing factor (52%), with the expansion of irrigated planted areas contributing 39% and rainfed 13%. Other management practices that helped increase production include N fertilizer and manure (24%). Our results also reveal that environmental factors increased productivity by 24% in the recent decade, with rising atmospheric CO