Aerobic rice (Oryza sativa) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) are two strategic crops for climate change adaptation

Through technologies developed by Embrapa, the cultivation of aerobic rice and common bean has fostered the engagement of diverse sectors of society in an organized, collaborative production chain that stretches from the field to the table.

Integrated cropping systems featuring cultivars of aerobic rice and common bean are leading the way toward a new approach to farming these two staple grains of the Brazilian diet.

Three aerobic rice cultivars are featured at COP-30: BRS A502, BRS A504 CL, and BRS Esmeralda. Aerobic (or upland) rice is a Brazilian innovation developed to adapt rice plants—originally hydrophilic and suited to flooded environments—to aerated systems without a water layer on the soil surface. This adaptation avoids methane (CH₄) emissions, a greenhouse gas (GHG) naturally produced under anaerobic systems.

BRS A504 CL is a cultivar integrated into crop-livestock (ICL) and crop-livestock-forest (ICLF) systems, grown under rainfed conditions. The CL® cultivars are mutants bred to tolerate a specific herbicide that controls competing grasses without harming the rice or Brachiaria. Brachiaria grass can be cultivated simultaneously with rice, and the specific herbicide suppresses Brachiaria growth for several days while the rice thrives. After the rice harvest, Brachiaria regrows vigorously, and the forage can be used to feed cattle during the six-month dry season in the Cerrado. 

BRS A504 CL 

By enabling simultaneous cultivation with forage, cultivars such as BRS A504 CL optimize land use, making this practice an excellent option for restoring degraded pasture, increasing soil-use efficiency, and indirectly preventing deforestation for cattle ranching or grain production.

For common bean, the highlight is the super-early cultivar BRS FC 104, which has a planting-to-harvest cycle of around 70 days. The very short cycle makes BRS FC 104 highly flexible for insertion into ICL or ICLF systems, providing a larger window for subsequent crops in the first or second rainy seasons in Brazil. Moreover, BRS FC 104 is well adapted for Biological Nitrogen Fixation (BNF), eliminating the need for urea fertilizer when common bean is cultivated with co-inoculation of beneficial microorganisms applied to seeds, plants, and soil in carbon-rich ICL or ICLF systems. Urea is a fossil-based input that drives production costs and is the main source of nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from soil or nitrogen loss via volatilization in crop-production systems, directly contributing to GHG accumulation in the atmosphere.

BRS FC104 

The rice cultivars BRS A502 and BRS Esmeralda offer solutions for Brazilian food systems. BRS A502 is designed for crop rotation in high-input, industrial-scale pivot-irrigation systems, while BRS Esmeralda is suited to low-input, smallholder farm production. Both perform well under upland/aerobic conditions adapted to local rainfall patterns. BRS Esmeralda is resilient and drought-tolerant, earning its name because the rice stalk remains green until harvest—facilitating management and addressing challenges in smallholder farm production, such as access to mechanization and weed control.

Common bean and aerobic rice cultivars developed by Embrapa are versatile and can be deployed across diverse food systems in Brazil, ensuring food and nutritional security for the population and stimulating local economies. They also support sustainable rural development and income by serving programs such as the National School Feeding Program (PNAE), expanding diversification opportunities across regions and maximizing rainwater use in an agricultural sector that is vulnerable to increasingly intense heat and droughts. 

Events

- On November 11th, at 4:00 PM, the book "Science for Climate" will be launched at the AgriZone - Arena.

 - Scheduled at the AgriZone - ARENA: Circularity in Integrated Production Systems

- Session: Alliance Brazil and EU to promote Carbon farming practices via public policies based on science

For more details on these technologies, please access the selection of technical documents below. Enjoy!

Research Articles

- ICL Common bean BFN

- ICL Soil C 

- ICLF Water

- ICLF Soil C Pools

- ICLF Soil C Stocks

- ILF C Balance

- ICLF Land Use

- ICLF Boa Vereda Farm

- Common bean in response to co-inoculation

Videos

Technological Reference Unit Cachoeira Dourada (GO)

Sustainable intensification of production systems - ICL

Read More

Synergies in Integrated Systems - Sense

Showcase of Highlighted Results & Solutions - 4per1000

Contatos para Imprensa:
Hélio Magalhães – helio.magalhaes@embrapa.br / (62) 3533-2108
Henrique de Oliveira – henrique.deoliveira@embrapa.br / (62) 3533-2108
Rodrigo Peixoto – rodrigo.barros@embrapa.br / (62) 98127-3107