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rice farming
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- 1Rising temperatures threaten Japan's sake rice crops●As temperatures rise, Japan’s sake rice is feeling the heat
Japan's sake rice harvest is under pressure as rising temperatures affect the crop used to brew the country's traditional rice wine. Higher heat can alter grain quality and the starch composition brewers rely on, prompting concern across the sake industry. Growers and brewers are watching how warming conditions reshape rice farming regions and production.
- 2Kubota unveils agrivoltaic system for rice farming under solar panels▼Kubota agrivoltaic system allows rice farming and combine harvesting beneath elevated solar panels
Kubota has introduced an agrivoltaic system that lets farmers grow and combine-harvest rice beneath elevated solar panels. By raising the panels high enough for standard machinery to pass underneath, the setup allows the same land to produce both food and renewable electricity. The concept is drawing attention as Japan and other countries look to expand solar capacity without sacrificing limited farmland.