- Two-year trial to evaluate how Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve rice yields
- Trial also to explore how herbicide-tolerant rice supports AWD by helping farmers manage weeds in intermittently drained fields
- Initiative advances BASF’s global carbon farming program in Asia Pacific, supporting goal to cut rice-related GHG emissions by 30%
Mumbai, India, August 25, 2025 – BASF has entered into a strategic partnership with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Central Rice Research Institute (ICAR-CRRI) to advance climate-smart rice farming in India. The two-year carbon emission reduction trial, set in Odisha and Jharkhand, will evaluate the impact of Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) on greenhouse gas emissions and rice yields – combining scientific rigor with practical relevance for farmers.
“To make the big strides that are needed to reduce carbon emissions in farming, we need to evaluate how new technologies and tools can come together to enable climate-smart agricultural practices,” said Simone Barg, Senior Vice President, BASF Agricultural Solutions Asia Pacific. “We partner with leading institutions like ICAR-CRRI to ensure our solutions are grounded in science and deliver real value to farmers.”
The trial will also assess the role of herbicide-tolerant (HT) rice seeds in supporting AWD adoption. AWD involves periodically draining rice fields to reduce methane emissions and conserve water – conditions that can encourage weed growth due to increased soil aeration. HT rice seeds help farmers manage this challenge efficiently, maintaining productivity while enabling sustainable practices.
This initiative marks a significant milestone in BASF’s global carbon farming program in Asia Pacific. It will help identify the conditions under which a carbon farming program – aligned with Verra’s VM0051 methodology for rice – can incentivize AWD adoption. The trial supports BASF’s global goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from rice cultivation by 30%.
“This collaboration presents immense opportunities to augment farmers’ income by reducing the cost of cultivation, allowing them to grow rice with limited water and providing an opportunity to derive additional benefit from carbon trading by reducing methane emission from the rice fields in future,” said Dr. G.A.K. Kumar, Director, ICAR-CRRI, speaking on behalf of the broader rice research community. “ICAR-CRRI have released two herbicide tolerant rice varieties CR Dhan 807 and CR Dhan 812 both of which are also climate resilient.”
About BASF’s Agricultural Solutions division
Everything we do, we do for the love of farming. Farming is fundamental to provide enough healthy and affordable food for a rapidly growing population, while reducing environmental impacts. That’s why we are working with partners and experts to integrate sustainability criteria into all business decisions. With €919 million in 2024, we invest in a strong R&D pipeline, combining innovative thinking with practical action in the field. Our solutions are purpose-designed for different crop systems. Connecting seeds and traits, crop protection products, digital tools and sustainability approaches, to help deliver the best possible outcomes for farmers, growers and our other stakeholders along the value chain. With teams in the lab, field, office and in production, we do everything in our power to build a sustainable future for agriculture. In 2024, our division generated sales of €9.8 billion. For more information, please visit www.agriculture.basf.com/in or our social media channels.
About BASF in India
BASF has successfully partnered India’s progress for more than 130 years. As of the end of 2024, BASF had 2,411 employees in India with 8 production sites and 42 offices throughout the country. The Innovation Campus Mumbai and the Coatings Technical Center in Mangalore are both part of BASF’s global technology platform. In 2024, BASF registered sales of approximately €2.4 billion to customers in India. Further information is available at www.basf.com/in
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. Our ambition: We want to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers’ green transformation. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 112,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises, as core businesses, the segments Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, and Nutrition & Care; our standalone businesses are bundled in the segments Surface Technologies and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €65.3 billion in 2024. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com
About ICAR-CRRI
Established at Cuttack, Odisha, in 1946, in the backdrop of the great Bengal famine, the Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) is a key institute in India under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, dedicated to improving rice production, ensuring food security, and supporting rice farming through research and development. The institute currently has two regional research stations located in Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh. The institute is also the nodal agency for implementing the rainfed trials of the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Rice.